Harry Potter and the Shadow War
by Liselle129
Summary: Harry and friends are transported to the Babylon 5 space station in 2260 and must explain their presence. Can their unique abilities help in the fight against the Shadows, and will they learn things to take back to their own war? AU crossover.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: This was a story I wrote more than three years ago, in between Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince. I had also recently obtained the complete DVD collection of Babylon 5, so it was kind of in my head. I thought it would be interesting to combine their two worlds and see what would happen. It's obviously AU for Harry Potter, a sort of alternate beginning to the sixth year. I've tried to keep it very canon for B-5, just slipping new scenes in between what's already there. It takes place during Episode 18 of Season 3 (Walkabout). I shift scenes and points of view frequently to keep a sort of television feel to it.

**Harry Potter and the Shadow War**

Chapter 1 - Transported

Harry Potter was sitting with his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron and Ginny Weasley, in the library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry one autumn afternoon. They had only been back to school a few weeks, but Hermione insisted that they needed to get into good study habits early.

"Our O.W.L.s may be over, but we still have a lot of work to do, and the N.E.W.T.s will be here before you know it."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and groaned simultaneously.

"But, Hermione," Ron said pleadingly, "those are nearly two years away!"

"Besides," continued Hermione, as though he had not spoken, "the least we can do is help Ginny with her O.W.L. preparations."

Harry couldn't really argue with that. He reflected that it would have been nice to have someone on hand who'd already been through the O.W.L.s willing to tell them what to expect and what to focus on. He and Ron returned to working on their Potions essays. Suddenly, Hermione and Ginny reached for the same book – and disappeared, along with the book. Ron and Harry looked up quickly to the empty seats across from them, and then at each other.

"That must have been a Portkey!" Harry exclaimed. Then he began randomly touching other books on the table. "That was probably meant for me," he muttered.

"Not everything is about you, you know," Ron stated irritably.

"No, just the bad stuff," Harry retorted, though he wasn't really angry with Ron. He knew that Ron was just worried about the girls, like he was.

"Wait," Ron said after a pause, "Let's think about this logically."

"You sound like Hermione," Harry said, though he stopped his frantic search for another Portkey.

"Maybe," replied Ron, uncharacteristically not taking offense, "but I'm also a strategist, remember? Anyway, let's suppose that someone did want you to make use of a Portkey in this room. They couldn't be sure that you'd touch a specific book at the appropriate time."

"Right," Harry answered. "So?"

"So, to increase the chance that they would get you, probably every book on this table is sort of cycling. After all, a Portkey only works at a specific, pre-set time. Each book here must have a series of possible activation times, spaced a certain distance apart, and somehow set so that they won't complete their function until someone touches it."

"That makes sense," Harry agreed. "If that is the case, what do you suggest?"

"I think that our best chance of finding Hermione and Ginny would be simply to choose one book to touch and wait until its next turn on the cycle came. And I think we should take the same book, just in case they don't all go to the same place."

"Wow," said Harry. "That was really good."

"Thank you," Ron replied, trying to look modest.

"But why wouldn't they all go to the same place, if they were all designed to get me there?" Harry continued.

"I have no doubt that they will go to roughly the same location," Ron answered. "But, just in case someone were to follow you before the person who set this up could deactivate the remaining Portkeys, they wouldn't want to make it too easy to find you. So, my guess is that each one takes you to a slightly different point. Would you care to choose a book?"

"Okay," Harry said. He pointed to a text on counterjinxes. As long as they had a choice, they might as well choose something that might be useful. He and Ron each put a hand on the book and waited. After a minute or so of silence, Harry realized something odd.

"I still have one question," he said. "How did anyone know that I would be in the library right now with these books?"

Before Ron could answer, however, Harry felt the familiar pulling behind his navel, and the library dissolved before his eyes.

When the world felt solid again, Harry opened his eyes. He and Ron found themselves in a sterile, spartan corridor that seemed to be made mostly of metal. There were doors at intervals along the walls. At least, Harry assumed that they were doors, though they had no visible hinges or handles. A large number 5 was affixed to the walls on either side of them, between light fixtures.

It seemed that Ron had managed to bring his book bag with him, so Harry handed him the book/Portkey, and Ron put it away. They were still trying to get their bearings when a blond man in a green uniform with a black vest over it came around a corner and spotted them. His outfit vaguely reminded Harry of body armor he'd seen Muggle police wear. The man stopped short when he saw them. Then he pushed at a device affixed to his right hand.

"Allan to Garibaldi," he said into the device, keeping his eyes on Harry and Ron. Harry looked at Ron, wondering if they should try to run, but Ron just shrugged. Harry was more curious than anything else, so he decided to wait and see what happened next before taking any action.

"Go," said the device.

"Chief, I've got two kids here that look like they fell out of the same looking glass as the two we found in Brown Sector a few minutes ago," the man said.

"Where are they?" asked the voice from the other end.

"Blue 19. One of them looks like he might be related to the redhead."

"Bring them up," said the voice, after a pause.

"Would you mind coming with me?" the man asked them politely. Since it sounded like they would be rejoining Hermione and Ginny, Harry and Ron had no objections.

"Captain," said Commander Susan Ivanova, working her usual shift at Command & Control (C&C to the staff). "Garibaldi's calling you from his office."

"Put him through," replied Captain John Sheridan, commanding officer of the Babylon 5 space station. Security Chief Michael Garibaldi's face appeared on a small screen in the wall.

"Captain," began Garibaldi, a slight question in his voice, "I've got something down here I think you should see."

"What is it?"

"There are four kids here, apparently unsupervised, and dressed very strangely."

"Human?"

"As far as I can tell. But captain, here's the weird part: they don't seem to know how they got here."

"Where did they come from?" Sheridan asked, seeming to become curious.

"They say Earth. Great Britain, specifically."

"We're certainly not getting traffic from there these days. And they have no recollection of getting on a shuttle?"

"Not only that, but at least one of them didn't seem to know what a shuttle was!" Garibaldi answered disbelievingly.

The captain paused as though making a decision.

"All right," he said finally. "Ivanova, can you handle this? I'd do it myself, but I'm meeting with Ambassador Delenn in a few minutes. We have some…preparations to make."

Susan understood what he meant. Ambassador Kosh's replacement from the Vorlon homeworld was scheduled to arrive soon. They couldn't say any more with others nearby (or on an open channel, for that matter) because it wasn't general knowledge that Kosh had been murdered. The Vorlons wanted to keep that secret, and everyone was to address the new ambassador as though he were Kosh.

"Yes, sir, I can manage," Susan replied.

"Good. I want you two to get as much initial information you can. I also want them to have a basic physical. If they didn't go through the usual decontamination procedures, I don't want to take the chance that they've brought something on board with them. Give me a full briefing in the conference room at 1800. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Susan turned to Garibaldi on the screen. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Garibaldi out," he replied with a nod, and his face disappeared.

--

Author's Note: So, there's the beginning. Some of you may wonder why I chose to put this on the B-5 part of the site rather than the Harry Potter part, since it could have gone either way but is centered around the HP characters. For one thing, HP has tons already, and I thought B-5 needed more love. Besides, I already posted the story on an exclusively HP site, so it seemed time to get a potentially new set of readers. Since the whole thing is written already, I should be posting pretty regularly, just allowing time for some reviews on each chapter.


	2. Chapter 2: Interview

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: I'm going to be out of town for the weekend, so I thought I would post this today. I'm really hoping to get, say, 3 more reviews before I post the next chapter.

Chapter 2 – Interview

Susan Ivanova had seen some strange things during her service in Earthforce, but she wasn't sure she'd ever seen anything quite like the scene that greeted her when she walked through the door of Garibaldi's office. Garibaldi, his receding hairline masked by the fact that his head was practically shaved, sat behind his desk. His bushy eyebrows were drawn together and he somehow managed to look relaxed and wary at the same time. Standing before him were four adolescents, two redheads and two brunettes, all wearing black robes with some sort of crest on the front. At the collar of the robes, she could see red and gold striped ties over white collared shirts. She also caught a glimpse of gray sweaters underneath. They looked for all the world like some sort of uniform but not like anything she'd ever seen. They couldn't be military; too impractical. A religious order? A school?

As she surveyed them, Susan realized that the term "kids," as Garibaldi had used it, was somewhat misleading. Although clearly not adults, it looked like one or more of them had to be at or near his full height. The redheaded boy caught Susan's attention first, mainly because he stood at least a head taller than his companions. Even from across the room, Susan could tell that he would tower over her, and she was not a small woman. She estimated that he might even stand eye-to-eye with the captain – no mean feat, since Sheridan was easily the tallest human on the station. The boy's robe hung higher on his legs than those of the others, and his wrists stuck out several inches from his sleeves. His face was liberally freckled, and he had a worn leather bag slung over his shoulder.

Susan turned from him to survey the others. The other boy had black, unkempt hair and striking green eyes behind round glasses. He seemed nervous, but there was a determined look in his eyes that made Susan a little uneasy. Unlike his lanky friend, he was short, scarcely taller than the girls of the group. He was also thin and rather pale. Beside him stood a girl with bushy brown hair, holding a large book. She looked to be nearly 5-and-a-half feet tall, perhaps her full adult height. Finally, Susan took in the shortest member of the group, another redhead, this time a girl. She was hanging back slightly from the others, but she looked the most relaxed, although her eyes were very alert.

"So," Susan said, frankly uncertain how to begin this interview (interrogation hardly seemed the right word for this motley crew). "Do we have names for these four?"

"That and their ages was about all I did get out of them," Garibaldi replied, looking down at the screen in front of him. "The two redheads are brother and sister, Ron and Ginny Weasley, ages 16 and 15, respectively. The boy with the glasses is Harry Potter, 16, and the brown-haired girl is Hermione Granger [he pronounced this first name slowly, as though uncertain he was getting it right, just turned 17."

"All right," said Susan. "I am Commander Susan Ivanova, second in command here on Babylon 5. I understand you're from Earth?"

The teens looked at each other uncertainly for a moment. Then Harry, the black-haired one, stepped forward. The others seemed to accept him as their de facto leader, and Susan filed that away for future reference.

"We're all from England," he replied to her, politely. "Although we were in Scotland when – before we came here."

Susan's eyes narrowed. He had clearly been about to say something else, but she decided to let it pass for now.

"Some kind of vacation?" she asked them, referring to the reason they were in Scotland.

"No," Harry answered. "We go to a school in Scotland."

"Then the next question is: how did you get here?"

Again, the kids looked uneasily at each other. Harry cleared his throat and tried to answer.

"We don't know."

"You don't know?" Susan repeated in disbelief, raising her eyebrows significantly. How could someone get from Earth to a space station that had seceded from Earthgov and was light years from anything without knowing how he or she got there?

"Er, that is, we know how we got here, but we don't know why we're here," the boy amended. This was hardly enlightening. Susan looked at the other three.

"Would anyone care to clarify this for me?" she asked.

A third time, the four strangers exchanged glances.

"I think we're going to have to tell them," said Harry to the others.

"But what about the Secrecy Act?" asked the tall redhead, Ron.

"Look around you, Ron!" said the brown-haired girl, Hermione, sounding a little exasperated. "I don't think the Ministry has any jurisdiction here."

That sounded political, but Susan didn't have time to reflect on it because the conversation was continuing.

"They probably won't believe us anyway," put in Harry, "but I don't see any choice but to tell the truth and face the consequences."

The two girls nodded agreement. Finally, Ron seemed to give in and shrugged.

"All right," he said. "But you tell it, Hermione. You're the best at this sort of thing, and anything sounds believable when you say it."

The girl seemed to glow a little under this compliment, and Susan looked quickly between the two of them, sensing something there that went a little deeper than could be seen at first glance. She suppressed the small smile that tried to come to her lips at the thought that teenagers were the same everywhere. This relationship also might be an important piece of information to keep handy.

Before Hermione could begin whatever explanation she intended to give, the red-haired girl chimed in for the first time.

"If you please," she said politely, seeming to address both Garibaldi and Susan, "I think we should all sit down. This could take a while."

An hour later, Susan and Garibaldi stood in Medlab, waiting for the kids to finish with their physicals. Given the nature of the incredible story they had just heard, Susan had also requested a psychological evaluation on each of them. Finally, Susan broke the silence.

"I'm going to call Delenn and see if she'd be willing to host them for a while," she announced. She'd been thinking about this for a while and thought the Minbari ambassador was a logical choice to help them out on this.

"Delenn?" Garibaldi repeated. "Why?"

"Well, I have no evidence to merit throwing them in the brig," Susan began. "Besides, that would mean four cells that your people would have to guard, probably without cause, and we can't afford them to be spread that thin. The ambassadorial quarters are large enough to house them all together and have the added bonus of providing some amount of supervision until we decide whether they're a threat. That leaves Delenn, since I'm certainly not going to inflict Londo on them. No one deserves _that_ without at least a fair trial."

Garibaldi laughed his agreement. The Centauri ambassador had seemed increasingly irritable lately, and the recent renewal of hostilities with Narn, in which conflict Babylon 5 was striving carefully to remain neutral, wasn't helping matters.

"All right," he said. "I'll go with you on this, at least for now. Listen, do you think you can manage without me from here? I haven't heard from Stephen, and I thought I'd look him up."

"Sure," Susan said amiably, also a little concerned about Stephen Franklin, who'd been in charge of Medlab until developing a problem with stimulants. He'd been on leave for a while now, and it had been hard for anyone to track him down. If anyone could do it, it was Garibaldi, and as a recovering alcoholic himself, Susan could understand that he might feel a particular connection.

Once Garibaldi had left, Susan contacted Ambassador Delenn in her quarters and briefly explained the favor she was asking. There was only a moment's pause before Delenn agreed and told Susan that she would be sending her aide Lennier to collect the visitors.

--

Review responses:

SnakeEyes16: I've tried to write this so that people who don't follow the show can still figure out what's going on. In fact, in response to your comments, I've even added a little extra detail to this chapter from what I originally published.


	3. Chapter 3: Introductions

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: Well, I only had one new review, but I'm posting this anyway. There were 68 hits to the second chapter, so I can only assume you all aren't much for reviewing. The same was pretty true the last time I published the story. I got a slew after the end, though.

Chapter 3 – Introductions 

It was probably fortunate that Harry and his friends were accustomed to creatures such as goblins and centaurs because, as far as Harry could tell, they all kept their composure when they were introduced to the person that Ivanova told them would be escorting them to their temporary quarters.

Lennier, according to the commander, was the aide to an ambassador to the station. He was from a planet called Minbar. Harry was still trying to assimilate the idea that individuals from many different planets – including some that had been colonized by Earth – lived together on this station. Lennier was approximately average height for a man, but he appeared to be completely hairless. He had brow ridges with no eyebrows, there was no sign of facial hair, and the crown of his bald head was surrounded by a bony plate that ended as a sort of frame to his face. He was very pale, and his ears were tiny versions of human ears, nestled within curves of the plate on either side of his head. His clothing was a loose robe in shades of white and beige, not terribly different from wizard clothing. In addition, there was something sympathetic in his face, which was a nice change from Garibaldi and Ivanova, who had been all business.

"Well, here they are. Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione," Ivanova said as she pointed each of them out in turn. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No," replied Lennier. "I believe that is all. We will await further instruction from you." He spoke English perfectly, but with an American accent.

Lennier then placed his fingers together in front of his chest and gave a little bow to her. Ivanova inclined her head in response.

"Follow me, please," the Minbari instructed the four teens.

They walked in silence through some corridors and rode on a couple of lifts. Harry wasn't sure what the station residents called them, but they seemed to function like lifts to him, so that's how he thought of them. He was amazed by the size of this place. He hoped he wouldn't be expected to find his way around because he didn't think he could manage it. As they entered an area where the accent color on the walls was green, they saw a much wider variety of – people? Harry didn't know if that was the appropriate word, as many of these creatures looked far less human than their Minbari guide. He tried not to gape, but it was difficult.

At last, they reached a door at which Lennier paused briefly, and then entered. The four wizards followed, glad to escape from the crowded corridor.

Harry received another shock when the single occupant of the room rose from her seat to greet them. The woman before them looked very little like her male counterpart; in fact, she seemed almost human. She did have a bony ridge around her head, but there was dark, wavy hair both above and below it, extending past her shoulders. Her skin, too, had more of a pink tint to it. Her clothing was similar in style to Lennier's, but it was in vivid colors of blue and purple and was a trifle more fitted to her body.

"I am Ambassador Delenn, of the Minbari Federation," she said, smiling gently at them. "You may simply call me 'Delenn.'" Her accent was different as well, almost Eastern European, and her voice was rich and pleasant. Lennier quickly went through each of the guests' names once more.

"Thank you, Lennier," Delenn said. She then addressed Harry and his friends.

"I am sure that you must be hungry by now. Can I offer you something?"

Ron, of course, was the first to answer in the affirmative. The others agreed that they, too, were a little hungry. Hermione asked to use the restroom. Delenn sent Lennier to prepare a light meal while she showed Hermione the facilities. Ginny elected to follow, also needing that particular room.

Harry and Ron sat uncertainly on the padded sofa, watching Lennier prepare the food. It seemed almost a ritual to him as he moved through the kitchen area, following some prescribed sequence of actions. Occasionally, he would bow or make some gesture over the food. Harry hoped that Ron would be able to curb his usual habit of stuffing as much as possible into his mouth at once. He had a feeling that such table manners would not be well received here. He leaned over toward Ron, trying to be unobtrusive.

"I think we'd better be on our best behavior," he murmured quietly. "We don't want to offend anyone. We don't know their culture, but we can at least do the best we've been taught."

Ron turned his head sharply and met Harry's gaze. Then, slowly, he nodded.

Once everyone had regrouped and the food had been served, Lennier retreated to another room. At this point, Hermione's insatiable curiosity came to the forefront.

"I beg your pardon," she began, addressing Delenn, "but can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly," came the simple reply.

"I apologize, but we aren't familiar with your race. You and Lennier don't look very much alike. Is that typical?"

"No," Delenn answered, smiling indulgently. "I did not always look this way."

She said some words in a musical foreign language, and a picture appeared on a screen nearby.

"This was what I looked like less than two years ago," she said, indicating the image. "I underwent a transformation that made me half human."

Harry looked closely at the picture. The facial features were definitely the same, but that person was hairless and had the bony plate around her skull, some sort of birthmark on top of her head, pale skin, and dark lips.

Ron was looking incredulously between the image on the screen and the woman sitting in front of them.

"I've had five years of Transfiguration, but I've never seen anything like that!" he exclaimed. "How did you do it?"

"Our people discovered a technology nearly 1,000 years ago that enabled this kind of change," Delenn replied.

Harry wanted to ask why she had done this, but he thought it might be rude. Besides, Ginny was entering the conversation.

"Dad would love to see something like that!" she said. "Imagine, Muggle technology that can do at least as much as our best transfiguration magic. But I have another question, if I may?"

The ambassador nodded.

"I saw a lot of people on the way here that appear to be in some kind of uniform. Actually, there were two basic kinds, gray and blue. I suppose they must work on the station. If that's the case, though, why do Commander Ivanova and Security Chief Garibaldi wear different uniforms?"

"The gray uniforms are security. The blue are the other station personnel. As for Ivanova and Garibaldi, they gave up their uniforms some time ago, when the government of Earth began doing things they didn't agree with. I had their present uniforms made for them, along with one for the captain."

"Wait," interjected Harry, trying to comprehend what was being said. The ambassador's voice was so hypnotic that he had nearly missed it. "Are you saying that the top officers on this station have had a…falling-out with Earth? The whole planet?"

"Not exactly, no," Delenn replied. "With the government only. It is a very long story, and one that is not really mine to tell. That must be the captain's decision."

Her expression was kind but firm, and everything was silent for a few moments. At last, Delenn spoke again.

"Now, why don't you tell me a little about yourselves?"

Meanwhile, Captain Sheridan was in the middle of his briefing about the station's unexpected guests, and he felt like the expression of disbelief on his face would be permanently frozen there.

"Let me get this straight," he began, trying to process everything he had just been told. "These four humans appear on the station, two at a time, under mysterious circumstances. They claim to be from Earth, having been somehow transported from Scotland in the year 1996. They also believe that they attend a school where they study how to use certain magical abilities they were born with. Does that pretty well cover it?"

"Yes, sir," said Ivanova. Then she added, "They believe that they arrived here through the use of something called a Portkey. Apparently, this is a transportation device created when a spell is placed upon an ordinary object."

"But they're not Technomages?" the captain asked, almost hopefully. He didn't trust Technomages, but at least he was somewhat familiar with them.

"We don't know much about Technomages, but they don't appear to be," answered Garibaldi, taking over. "Technomages can manipulate technology at a level beyond what we can even imagine. These kids seem amazed and confused by our technology."

"Are they delusional?" Sheridan asked next. Ivanova and Garibaldi exchanged a glance before responding.

"That's what we thought at first, but they seem to be very aware of what's going on," replied Ivanova. "There's one in particular, the girl called Hermione, who acts very rationally. She tries to use a logical approach to everything."

"You can't tell me you believe them?" said Sheridan, astonished.

"I have to admit, they're straining my Russian skepticism," confessed Ivanova. "Maybe _I'm_ going crazy, but I'm starting to think it's possible they're telling the truth. After all, a few hundred years ago, telepaths might be seen as performing magic. Maybe these kids are some sort of variant."

"Just wait," Garibaldi added. "You haven't heard the weirdest part yet. Dr. Hobbs?"

Dr. Lillian Hobbs, a woman who appeared to be of Indian descent and who had been silent up to this point, rose from her seat.

"As requested, we performed a physical on all of them," she began. She walked over to the room's computer screen and entered some commands into the keyboard beneath. "They are all in good health. Almost too good, in fact. Kids get injuries all the time. They fall, they run into things, get hurt playing sports, et cetera. The two redheads had no old scars that we could see and no evidence of broken bones."

"Is it possible that they just happened to never get hurt?" Sheridan asked, still trying to make this situation fit into the universe he thought he knew.

"Theoretically, yes. However, we took a basic medical history when we examined them, and the boy, Ron, said that he had broken his leg about two-and-a-half years ago." She began displaying images from the physical as she was speaking. "Normally, when a bone is broken, the body produces more cells than necessary to repair the fracture, causing a slight bulge. However, as you can see, his leg bones are completely smooth and intact. The other boy, Harry, also indicated that he had broken his right arm four years ago. Not only is the arm unmarred, but the bone cells are less than five years old!"

"Are you suggesting that he re-grew an arm?"

"No, Captain, it's stranger than that. He only re-grew the arm bones. The skin and muscle tissue appear to be aging normally."

Sheridan couldn't take it anymore. He sat down in his chair with a thump, unable to speak.

"The two calling themselves Harry and Hermione have the expected childhood scars, but there appear to be no marks on them from the last five years or so. They each have one unusual feature." At this point, the screen showed a close-up of something that was unmistakably scar tissue and, just as unmistakably, in the shape of a lightning bolt. "This is a scar on Harry's forehead. The scar tissue appears to be very old in general, but it also appears to have re-opened at least once in the last few years. Finally, Hermione has perfectly straight and normal teeth, but her gums seem to indicate that her front teeth were once larger."

There was utter silence in the room for more than a minute. _Why me,_ Sheridan thought, for at least the hundredth time this year. At last, he spoke.

"Is Lyta on station?"

"Not to my knowledge," answered Ivanova, looking surprised at the question. "I expect she will be here soon to report to the Vorlon ambassador."

"Send her to me as soon as she arrives," Sheridan commanded. "I have a favor to ask of her."

"Yes, sir."

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, just to add a little more spice to your life, Londo is objecting to your offering asylum to the Narn cruiser," Garibaldi supplied.

"He would," grumbled Sheridan, "but this is still my station, and I will continue to run it as I see fit. Now, I'm going to go take a walk. You're all dismissed."

--

Author's Note: So, everything is coming together. I am assuming that the readers of this have at least a basic understanding of Harry Potter, so I hope that's working for everyone. Until next chapter!

Review responses:

L-dawg: Yes, I'm quite a stickler for spelling and grammar. I also tend to have a soft spot for comic relief characters like Ron, as readers of my Avatar fanfiction can attest. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.


	4. Chapter 4: Love and History

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: Yay! Three reviews last chapter, so you get a new one a little earlier than I intended. This chapter contains a lot of the Babylon 5 back story for those readers not familiar with it.

Chapter 4 – Love and History

Harry and his friends spent quite some time speaking with Delenn. She seemed fascinated by everything they told her, and she, in turn, told them about her home and people and tried to answer all of their many questions. Eventually, as it was apparently getting late (although Harry had trouble evaluating the passage of time without having any sun or schedule as a reference), Delenn decided that they needed to make some sleeping arrangements.

"I do have a guest room," she said, "but it is not large enough for all of you. In any case, I do not think it appropriate for you all to share a room. I may not be very familiar with your customs, but I think I am correct in that?"

Harry's friends all turned varying shades of red as the ambassador looked at them questioningly. He felt that he, too, was not unaffected by embarrassment, although he didn't really know what he had to be embarrassed about.

"The girls can have the room," said Ron gallantly. "I'm sure Harry and I can make ourselves quite comfortable out here. That is, if we won't be disturbing you."

"Not at all. Very well." She rose and showed the girls to the guest room. It was only a few moments, however, before the boys heard an exclamation that sent them running.

"Ah, yes," Delenn was saying as they arrived. "I continue to forget that humans are not accustomed to our customary sleeping position."

Harry peered into the room and saw what appeared to be two medical tables, set at an angle to the floor. Harry had never been good with geometry, but he guessed the angle to be about 45 degrees. There was a triangular cushion at the top of each and a small platform at the bottom.

"This is how you sleep?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"Minbari believe that one invites death by sleeping horizontally," Delenn explained. "I can request that a human bed or two be brought in, but it would take some time."

"In the meantime," said Ginny, looking at Harry pleadingly, "would you boys mind…?"

"I spent 10 years of my life in a cupboard," shrugged Harry. "I can manage. How about you, Ron?"

After his comment about the cupboard, Ginny placed her hand on Harry's arm and looked up at him, sadness in her eyes, along with something else he couldn't define. Harry was startled. Was she really that concerned about him? He felt his throat constrict, though whether from their contact or Ginny's expression, he wasn't sure. Odd. He swallowed hard, forcing the feeling down.

Meanwhile, Ron was looking around the room speculatively.

"I'll take the floor," he said at last. Then he turned to the girls and added, "We'll be fine."

The five of them regrouped in the sitting area. Ron had deposited his bookbag in the bedroom, and Hermione had decided to leave her book/Portkey in there as well. She finally convinced herself to ask another question that had been on her mind.

"Can you tell us about this station?" she asked. "You know, its history. How long has it been here and why? Are there many others like it? Is it just some kind of way station?"

"There is much more to it than that, and there is no other like it," Delenn replied. But they were not to find out more just yet, for at that moment, there was a beeping sound, and Delenn broke off.

"Come in," she said, standing and turning towards the door. It slid away to the side, and a tall, good-looking man stepped in, wearing the same black-and-gray uniform they had seen on Mr. Garibaldi and Commander Ivanova, except that he was wearing a kind of jacket over it with a gray and silver border. His light brown hair was brushed back away from his face, and he had broad shoulders and a build that led Hermione to wonder if Ron might fill out that way some day. She caught herself quickly, hoping she wasn't too pink. She surmised that this must be Captain Sheridan.

"John," said Delenn as she walked quickly to the man, stopping just in front of him. Her face had lit up, and she was smiling almost girlishly. Hermione narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Their hostess was in love with the captain of the station? And he appeared to have feelings for her as well. This certainly was an interesting place, in many respects.

"That ambassador certainly is a Vorlon," said the captain, sounding tired and frustrated. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this?"

"Of course not," said Delenn. "Please come in and meet my guests." She gestured to them each in turn.

"Captain John Sheridan, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley."

"I've heard a lot about you already," commented Captain Sheridan. Hermione shook his hand mechanically; her mind was stuck on something that had previously been said.

"Excuse me, but did you say Vorlon?" she asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just that – I've read about them!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Just a moment." She ran into the other room to retrieve the book that had also happened to function as their Portkey.

"This is the book I was holding when we came here," she continued as she began flipping pages almost before she stopped moving. "It's a very old lexicon of magical creatures. Now, let me see. Yes, here it is: 'Vorlon – elusive creature with a large outer shell. Speaks, but only in riddles. Level of intelligence uncertain; natural habitat unknown. Wizards and witches have reported seeing them everywhere from fallow farm fields to large cities.' That's it. The newer editions don't even mention them. I don't think anyone's seen them in centuries. That is, where, er, _when_ we come from."

When she looked up, the captain was regarding Hermione and her book with a great deal of interest.

"That sounds like them, all right," he said. "We know a little more about them now, but not much. Where did you get that book?"

"From the Hogwarts school library."

"That must be some school." Captain Sheridan suddenly seemed to recollect himself and switched to another topic. "I don't really want to talk about Vorlons right now. While I'm here, though, I think I should let you know that I intend to bring a telepath here to help me interview you. Is that all right?"

"What's a telepath?" asked Ron and Ginny almost simultaneously.

"You mean, someone that can read minds?" asked Hermione about a beat later. "They exist?"

The others all turned to look at her.

"Of course they exist," Captain Sheridan replied. "They seem to have only appeared among humans in the last few generations, but they're definitely real. You're not familiar with them?"

"No," Harry said as the other three shook their heads. "We have a spell that can get into someone's mind, but you have to have direct eye contact."

"Telepaths usually need eye contact for a full scan, but not necessarily to detect surface thoughts and emotions. All I want is for her to verify that you're telling the truth about who you are. That, and…" he trailed off.

"To find out if we're nutters?" Ron supplied helpfully. The captain nodded apologetically. There was a significant pause.

"If it will help you to believe us, I'm all for it," said Ginny at last. The other three murmured agreement, some more reluctantly than others. Hermione was fully aware that the captain didn't need their assent to do this. His asking was a gesture of good faith, or a test, and either way, it seemed best to go along with it. Harry looked the most troubled. Hermione didn't blame him. The poor boy had already had Voldemort in his head; he surely wasn't going to be anxious for someone else to pry in there.

"Good," Sheridan said, seeming to relax a little. "I know it's late, Delenn, but I was wondering if you would have dinner with me? I need to unwind, and I'd enjoy your company."

"I'd be delighted," was the immediate response. She went to the far section of the suite to summon Lennier, telling him that she was leaving for a few standard hours (whatever those might be).

"I was just about to tell the children the story of Babylon 5. Could you do it for me?" she asked him.

"Of course," Lennier replied. They bowed to each other, and he watched her wistfully as she left. A horrible suspicion entered Hermione's mind.

"You're in love with her." The words were out before she thought about it, and they were not a question. She gasped at her audacity and covered her mouth, wishing she could put the words back in. The two boys were staring at her.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry…" Hermione stammered.

Lennier looked at her, momentarily startled, and then took a deep breath.

"No, it is all right," he said evenly. "You are not the first to know this. I think _she_ may know, though she has said nothing. Nor can I. I have accepted that she is destined for another."

"Sheridan," said Ginny. This, too, was not a question. Hermione looked over at her approvingly. The girl was perceptive. Was it only boys who were impossibly thick?

"Yes," answered Lennier.

Harry and Ron had shifted their gaze to Ginny.

"How do you girls bloody _do_ that?" said Ron.

"Yeah," echoed Harry. "Do you all get some kind of pamphlet that explains these things?"

"Of course not," said Hermione, shifting into lecture mode. "It's simply a matter of paying attention to expressions and tone of voice and reaching the appropriate conclusions. And Ron, watch your language."

"Look," he responded. "I've just been transported nearly three hundred years into the future and God knows how many million miles from everything I know. And, by the way, we don't know who sent us here or why, or whether we'll ever be able to get back! I should think that gives a certain damned license to swear!"

"Don't start, you two," interrupted Ginny. "Besides, I think there's a little more to it than Hermione's explanation. Girls are more aware of their emotions, so we find it easier to identify them in others. Boys just act on their feelings, girls prefer to think about them first. Some of us for an excessively long time."

This last bit was said with a significant look towards Hermione, who did her best not to show her discomfort. She knew that she had placed Ginny in an unenviable position. Having found her to be the only girl at Hogwarts that she could really talk to, Hermione confided in her a great deal. This meant that Ginny was forced to find a balance between respecting Hermione's confidence and protecting her brother. Hermione knew that her time was running out before blood won out. She knew she should probably take a more constructive approach towards developing her relationship with Ron – after all, it was the '90s (well, actually, it was currently the 23rd century, but never mind that). Her two best friends would probably never guess that logical, reasonable Hermione had a large romantic streak. Was it so wrong to want him to make the first move? As many times as Ginny had told her that Ron would have to be hit over the head, Hermione just couldn't bring herself to do anything about it.

"Maybe you both should collaborate and write a book," said Harry.

"Well, you wished to know about this station." Lennier was clearly ready for the new subject, and Hermione was genuinely interested, so she left her own ruminations to listen. "More than ten years ago, humans and Minbari went to war with one another. It began due to a…misunderstanding."

"You fought a whole war based on a misunderstanding?" asked Harry in disbelief.

"I am afraid so. We nearly destroyed the entire human race. Then, just before we were to conquer Earth itself, we surrendered. Few know why, and I do not think that I am the one to tell you. Both our peoples decided that we wanted to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening in the future. The Babylon project was our last, best hope for peace. It was envisioned as a place where individuals of all races could come together on neutral ground to work out their differences peaceably. This station is called Babylon 5 because it was the fifth of these to be built. The first three were destroyed by terrorists who did not want harmony among the races. The fourth disappeared as soon as it became operational."

"It disappeared? Just like that?" asked Ron. "What happened to it?"

"Stop interrupting," Hermione said, irritated. "Let him finish the story about _this_ station."

"I was only curious," he shot back.

"Well, just save your questions until the end." Ron receded into a sulky silence, and Hermione felt a pang. Why was she always doing that? The boy made her absolutely crazy!

Lennier seemed to be upset with this small amount of friction and waited a moment, as if to be certain they were finished. He then continued, starting with the answer to Ron's question.

"Babylon 4 has reappeared two times in the recent past. During the first, the crew was evacuated. During the second appearance, Delenn went there, along with Captain Sheridan, a ranger named Marcus Cole, and the former commander of the station, Commander Jeffrey Sinclair. Commander Sinclair did not return. Babylon 5 is the one that has managed to survive. A jumpgate was built near it to provide access to anyone who wished to reach the station. It originally had a council representing five races: human, Minbari, Centauri, Narn, and Vorlon. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds was added as a single voice. The Narn homeworld is now occupied by the Centauri, so the Narns have no official representation.

"Because the Minbari warrior caste was opposed to the construction of this station, it was agreed that Earthforce personnel would run the day-to-day operations. It was difficult to find a station commander, as the Minbari wished to have final approval. As I mentioned before, Commander Sinclair was the first to hold the post, though few know the reason he was approved when many others were rejected. He left after one year to become Earth's ambassador to Minbar. That is when Captain Sheridan was appointed. This time, Earth did not allow Minbari approval or rejection. Many of my people still object to his selection. The warrior caste calls him 'Starkiller.' You see, he was the only commander of an Earthforce vessel to have ever destroyed one of our battle cruisers. The only one, in fact, who even survived battle with our ships.

"Unfortunately, the station's mission has failed. We have found ourselves in the middle of a great war brewing between the Shadows and the Vorlons, and we have decided to side with the Vorlons, as the Minbari did in a similar war 1,000 years ago. We have ceased to be neutral. The true fighting has not yet begun, but it will not be long."

Lennier fell silent, and it appeared that his narrative was concluded.

"So, what do you think of the captain?" asked Ginny.

"I believe that he is where he needs to be," Lennier replied. It was a rather cryptic answer, but it was all they were likely to get.

Shortly after this, Hermione realized that she was getting tired. They all agreed to try to get some sleep. She and Ginny removed as much of their clothing as they felt comfortable with and settled down on the sofas. Hermione thought that her racing mind would keep her awake, but she must have been more tired than she had realized because it was no more than a few minutes before she was asleep.

--

Author's Note: A portion of Lennier's speech came from the introduction to Season 3 episodes. We see a little bit of the shipping starting here. The idea of Vorlons being mentioned in wizard literature as magical creatures was my husband's, but I expanded on it later. I should probably mention that I'd originally conceived a sort of trilogy, so this story mostly just lays the groundwork of introductions and meshing the two worlds. That is, I will be including some ideas and hints here that will not be resolved by the end of this story. The second installment is already in progress.

Review responses:

Ranger Aurora: Yes, but not until near the end. They'll meet Zathras, too!

L-dawg: Well, I believe Delenn would be up to it. After all, she unquestioningly accepted a guy searching space for the Holy Grail. Anyway, there seem to be plenty of people reading this, so I'm happy with that.

SnakeEyes16: There actually won't be a lot of action in this one, but there is a little. You might even find some echoes of Avatar in Training (or vice versa, since this came first) with the overall progression of the story arc. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a formula writer in that sense, though not in the specifics.


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: Another chapter, in which Sheridan and Delenn learn a little more about Harry and Company, and Delenn considers playing matchmaker.

Chapter 5 – Revelations

Security Chief Michael Garibaldi was walking down a corridor after a confusing conversation with Dr. Stephen Franklin when he heard an all-too-familiar voice behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Garibaldi," said G'Kar, formerly the ambassador from Narn, catching up with Michael. The security chief found himself struck yet again that the Narn's well-modulated voice didn't seem to match his fierce appearance. Of course, Narns all had a tendency to look fierce, with their bald, mottled heads; sharp features; and all the leather and metal they habitually wore, not to mention the red eyes. G'Kar was larger than most of them, though, making him even more impressive.

"I have been looking for you," G'Kar continued. Michael groaned inwardly. This couldn't be good.

"What is it, G'Kar?" he asked resignedly, knowing that he wouldn't get a moment's peace until he'd found out.

"I understand that the captain has four young humans in custody with…unusual abilities. I was wondering if I might speak with them," replied G'Kar, unmoved by his cool reception.

"How do you find out these things?" exclaimed Michael in exasperation.

"I have my sources."

"OK, first of all, technically, Ambassador Delenn has them in custody. Secondly, these 'abilities' of theirs have yet to be confirmed. Finally, I don't think the captain wants anyone to talk to them until he's completed his interview. Have I made myself clear?"

"Absolutely. You will tell me, then, when this interview is completed?"

Michael stared at him for a moment. He wanted to refuse, but he did owe G'Kar for providing Narn security personnel when his staff had run short. And if it delayed a renewal of G'Kar's request to be on the War Council, what could it hurt?

"Yeah, sure," he conceded. "I'll let you know."

"That's all I ask," said G'Kar, sounding almost giddy. Michael watched him leave and shook his head. He decided he should tell the captain about this little conversation at his next opportunity.

The next morning, Harry woke surprisingly refreshed. He stepped off of the bed carefully and stretched. The main downside to sleeping in such a bed was that there was no place to put his glasses in easy reach. He fumbled over to the small table where he had left them and put them on. Unfortunately, he tripped over Ron, who was still sleeping on the floor. Ron groaned, rolled over, and sat up.

"Wha's the matter?" he said, rubbing his eyes groggily.

"Nothing," Harry answered quickly. "I just tripped trying to get my glasses. I'm glad you're up, though. I would prefer not to go out there by myself. Silly, I know, but…"

Ron just grunted and began to get up. Unlike Harry, Ron had slept in his shirt, with the result that it was horribly wrinkled. He simply pulled his sweater on over it. Harry, meanwhile, found his own shirt, buttoned it on, and slipped his shoes on his feet. He didn't bother with the outer clothing; there was really no point to being in uniform right now.

Finally, Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair. He was sure they both looked a sight, but it couldn't be helped.

They exited the room to find Ginny talking with Delenn in the eating area. The two boys joined them. There was some kind of tea and some food on the low table. Minbari apparently usually ate seated on the floor, and the others had followed suit. Harry hadn't recognized much of what they'd eaten so far, but it had all been good, so he had no objection.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Ron.

"Shower," replied Ginny. "I've already been." It was only then that Harry noticed that her hair did appear to still be damp. For some reason, he wanted to reach out and touch it, but he resisted the impulse. What was this that had come over him lately? He'd never looked at her like that before.

"You might want to consider following our example, Ron," Ginny continued, grinning impishly. "You're smelling a bit…masculine this morning."

Ron made a face at her, but he just kept eating.

Harry found himself a little shocked at her saying such a thing, but then, he supposed that was another of those sibling things he would never really understand. Some of what he was thinking must have shown in his face because Ginny giggled and answered his unspoken comment.

"Harry, I have six older brothers. There aren't many subjects I feel uncomfortable with."

"I guess that's something I'll just never understand," he replied, shrugging. "I wonder what I would be like if I had six sisters?"

"A basket case, most likely," said Ron. "All those women in the house, ordering you about, taking up too much time in the bathroom, not to mention having to worry about all the guys they might be dating." Here he shot a look at his sister, who rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Well, at least I'd have older women I could ask about girls," answered Harry. "I mean, I don't have a mother, I don't have sisters, who am I supposed to ask about these things?"

"Hermione seems to be pretty good at answering questions," Ron said, blushing a little as he said this.

"Well, she's good at interpreting feelings and stuff, but really, does she have any more relationship experience than we have?"

Harry knew almost immediately that this had been the wrong thing to say. Ron's ears turned very red, and he began buttering a piece of bread with a vengeance.

"There's Viktor Krum, isn't there?" he said through clenched teeth. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Ginny was faster.

"Honestly, Ron, if your skull were any thicker, we could use it for a bludger," she said. Then she seemed to catch herself, as though she had been about to say something, but had decided against it at the last moment. She swallowed and continued, "One ball and a few letters does not constitute a relationship."

Ron did not say anything, but he seemed to calm down somewhat. Harry, in the meantime, was looking at Ginny speculatively. He had just remembered some comments from both her and Hermione that did give the impression that they confided in one another. Harry suspected that Ginny knew more of what Hermione felt towards Ron than she was letting on. Ron's feelings, of course, were obvious. Harry believed that they were returned, but Hermione, as good as she seemed to be at illuminating other people's emotions, played her own fairly close to the vest.

At this point, Hermione came out of the bathroom wearing a towel on her head. She had also put her school blouse and skirt back on, and even Harry had to admit that they clung to her in interesting places just now on her still-damp body. Ron stared openly for a moment before flushing and lowering his gaze.

"Do you boys mind if I use your room for a minute?" she asked. "I want to try to do something with this hair. I think I remember seeing a mirror?"

Both boys agreed to allow her to use 'their' room. Ron then took his turn in the bathroom. Once both of them were safely behind closed doors, Delenn, who had merely been watching them all, turned to Harry and Ginny.

"If I am not mistaken," she said, "there seems to be something between your two friends."

"Yes, and it's been going on for _ages,_" Ginny said immediately. "They just refuse to admit it, and it's been driving me mad!"

"It seems to be obvious to everyone except them," Harry agreed. "As their best friend, I find myself caught in the middle a lot. I can't take sides, so what's to be done?"

"Of course, what she sees in him, I can't imagine," said Ginny.

"Wait a bit," responded Harry, feeling the need to stand up for his friend. "Ron is loyal, and brave, and a great chess player--" Ginny held up her hands to stem the flow of words.

"Hang on, Harry," she said, laughing. "On Ron's behalf, I appreciate your leaping to his defense, but you don't have to convince _me_. He's my brother, and I love him dearly. But you must own that he is lazy, stubborn, quick-tempered, and not much to look at."

"On that, I have _no_ opinion," said Harry emphatically, referring to the last bit.

"Fair enough," Ginny giggled. "Anyway, if being together will make them happy, so be it. The problem is getting it to happen."

"Well," said Delenn, leaning towards them conspiratorially, "perhaps that is something we can resolve while you are here."

"We might be here for the rest of our lives," sighed Harry. At least, if that did prove to be the case, he had his friends with him.

"You are True Seekers," replied Delenn confidently. "You will find your way." Harry wasn't quite sure what that meant, but her assurance was somewhat contagious.

They were all clean and dressed some time later when Captain Sheridan returned to Delenn's quarters. This time, however, he was not alone. A tall woman with chin-length red hair and large, dark eyes entered with him. Her nose, chin, and cheekbones were sharp and prominent, but she was still quite pretty. She wore a businesslike outfit in earth tones and stood very straight.

Introductions went around once more, and the captain introduced the red-haired woman as Lyta Alexander, the telepath he had mentioned previously.

"Do you understand what I am going to do?" Lyta asked the four young wizards. When they all shook their heads, she explained, "The captain will ask you various questions. I will be reading surface thoughts to determine whether the answers are truthful. It will be easier if one of you acts as the spokesperson so that I can maintain eye contact. You shouldn't feel anything."

The teens looked at each other uneasily. They had agreed to this yesterday, but it was different to have the experience suddenly staring them in the face. At last, Harry spoke.

"Ordinarily, I would offer to do it," he said calmly. "However, I have an enemy who can sometimes get into my mind. I don't know if he can reach me here, but if he can, he may be able to harm you through me. I would prefer that someone else speak for us."

"I'll do it," said Ron, stepping forward. He looked pale and nervous, but his mouth was set in a determined line. "You won't see anything…personal, will you?"

"I will be able to detect any surface thoughts you may have," Lyta answered. "This means that I can't guarantee I won't find anything personal, but I do promise that I won't reveal anything that is not directly related to Captain Sheridan's questions. Okay?"

Ron nodded, somewhat reluctantly.

"All right, now just relax," Lyta told him. "Go ahead, Captain."

"Where are you from?" asked Sheridan.

"Well, Ginny and I were born and raised outside a village called Ottery St. Catchpole. It's in England. Hermione lives on the outskirts of London, and Harry's from Little Whinging, in Surrey."

"I was born in Wales," Harry interrupted.

"Oh, right," corrected Ron. "Harry was born in Wales and lived in a place called Godric's Hollow until - until his parents died." Apparently noting the hesitation and sensing something Ron didn't want to talk about, the captain pounced.

"How did they die?"

"They were murdered."

"By whom?"

"By an evil wizard," Ron answered, swallowing. Harry guessed that he was hoping he wouldn't have to give the name.

"Why?"

"That gets complicated. Apparently, he was trying to kill Harry because there was a prophecy that said Harry would defeat him someday. Instead, his parents died to protect him."

This was true, as far as it went, but Harry knew that Ron was intentionally leaving things out. Harry also belatedly realized that he had not yet told his friends what the prophecy said. Maybe that was for the best, though. Ron couldn't reveal what he didn't know.

Sheridan had been looking at Lyta after each answer to ascertain her reaction. After this last answer, she spoke at last.

"He's telling the truth, Captain, but not all of it."

"What are you leaving out?" Sheridan asked, turning back to Ron.

"I don't know everything that happened. I do know that his mother died because she was trying to protect him. See, the dark wizard came for Harry after killing his father, and Harry's mum wouldn't let him; she got in the way of the curse. So she died, but because she died for love of Harry, he was protected. Apparently, love is a really powerful charm. Then, when the dark wizard tried to do the Killing Curse on Harry, it bounced back on him. The dark wizard should have died, but he'd done things to himself so that he was practically immortal, so he just had to live in kind of a ghost state for 13 years or so. Then he got his body back." Ron fell silent. Captain Sheridan was looking back and forth between him and at Lyta in apparent disbelief. Lyta shrugged.

"As far as he knows, he's telling the complete truth," she said, almost apologetically.

"That has to be the craziest story I've ever heard!" Sheridan exclaimed, losing his composure at last. "And you're telling me that it's the truth?"

"Truth is subjective, Captain" Lyta responded. "All I can tell you is that he believes he is telling the truth."

"Is he sane?"

"I sense no sign of insanity. His thought patterns are a little erratic, but nothing out of the ordinary for a boy his age."

Sheridan paused. He seemed to want to say something else, but he changed his mind.

"Fine," he said. Then he turned back to Ron. "When did all this happen?"

"The murders were on Halloween night, 1981. The dark wizard got his body back in June 1995. Harry was there when it happened, but a lot of people didn't believe him for about a year."

"All right, let's go to a new topic," said Sheridan. "How did you all get here?"

"Well, we were all studying together at the Hogwarts library – that's the school we go to, you know. Anyway, Hermione and Ginny touched a book at the same time and disappeared. That's when Harry and I figured the book must have been a Portkey, so we found another one. It brought us here. That's all I know."

"What is a Portkey?"

"It's an object that has been enchanted to go somewhere at a specific time. It will also take along anyone who's touching it."

"So, you don't know who sent you or why?"

"No. I mean, we assumed that dark wizards must have sent us, but now that we're here, we can't imagine why. And we don't know how to get back."

The captain paced back and forth across the room for a little while. He seemed to be pondering everything he'd heard. At last, he stopped and faced them once again.

"Can you demonstrate some of this magic for me?" he asked.

"Of course!" said Ron brightly. "Hermione, you'd better do it."

"What should I do?" Hermione asked. "Oh, I know what would be just the thing! Transfiguration."

With that, she drew out her wand and pointed to a chair in the sitting area. She concentrated on it, and it began to change. Within 30 seconds, a giant tortoise stood there in its place. It began to crawl ponderously.

"Excellent," Ron admired her work. "You've always been good with Transfiguration. Mine always look half like one thing, half another."

The other two praised Hermione's skill as well. Captain Sheridan, however, looked as though his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Lyta looked startled, too, but Delenn seemed to be accepting everything with a certain level of composure. After all, someone who had transformed herself couldn't be all that surprised by people who could transform inanimate objects.

"Okay, I've seen enough," said Sheridan, finding his voice at last. "Can you change it back now?"

"Of course," answered Hermione, and she did so. Sheridan looked curiously at her wand.

"Garibaldi told me that you all possessed these…what do you call them?" he commented.

"Wands," supplied Hermione helpfully. "They don't actually perform the magic; they just help us to focus and control it. The power comes from within us."

"So you can perform – magic – without them?"

"Oh, yes," said Harry, "but it's usually accidental and not very controlled. Let's see, I once made my hair grow overnight, and I loosed a python on my cousin."

"Don't forget the time you inflated your aunt," added Ron. Harry glared at him.

"I've been _trying_ to forget that for three years!" he retorted. "Besides, she's not really my aunt."

"Ordinarily, weapons aren't allowed to be brought onto Babylon 5," the captain interrupted, cutting off what might have developed into an argument. "But, since these seem to be more tools than weapons, I'll allow you to keep them. Don't make me regret my decision."

He looked at them all meaningfully, and they nodded. Then, the captain turned to the telepath.

"Thank you for your services, Lyta," he said to her. "I think I've kept you from your duties long enough. I will contact you regarding the other issue we discussed."

As this was clearly a dismissal, Lyta inclined her head towards him and left. On her way out the door, she passed Lennier coming in.

"Delenn, I'd like to have another little meeting. Will you join me?" asked Sheridan.

"Naturally," she replied. "What about my guests?"

"Maybe Lennier can show them around the station," he said, looking questioningly at the ambassador's aide.

"I would be glad to," Lennier responded.

"Great. If they are going to be with us for some time, they'll need to know their way around. Show them the Zocalo, the merchant areas, anything you think is appropriate."

Lennier bowed, and Delenn and Sheridan left.

--

Author's Note: I know some of the HP fans might not catch all of the references, but don't worry; if I don't explain, they're not important to the story. It's mainly background and sort of inside jokes for those of us who are B-5 fans. G'Kar's interest in the kids will be revealed eventually.

Review responses:

Ranger Aurora: Thanks for pointing out the error in the prior chapter. Back when I wrote this, I confused the actor's name with the character.

Samael3: They will run into Morden, their interaction with Kosh is complicated, and Lorien won't show up until the sequel, since this story takes place 4 episodes before he's even seen. I don't think this qualifies as a Deus ex Machina, but yes, Draal and the Machine will be involved before it's over.


	6. Chapter 6: The Shadow Approaches

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Chapter 6 – The Shadow Approaches

The Zocalo turned out to be a sort of large marketplace, with booths selling everything imaginable – even some things Harry didn't think he could have imagined, and coming from a person who'd seen Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, that was saying something. There were also smaller portions of the station in the general area that had apparently been rented out as storefronts. Harry had managed to find a coin collector who had been very interested in his English coins. His friends were surprised that he was carrying Muggle money, but he had explained that, ever since the Aunt Marge incident, he had decided to convert some of his wizard money to Muggle money and keep it on hand. As an added precaution, he carried a little with him at all times. Although Harry had no idea how much a credit was worth, he nonetheless gathered that he was getting far more than face value for his money.

In addition, the wizard coins that both Harry and Hermione had been carrying with them bore a certain resemblance to Centauri ducats, so they were able to spend them as well. They bought a few personal items and some spare clothing. Ron protested a little, mostly for show, at accepting these purchases because he and Ginny hadn't contributed anything. Harry and Hermione ignored him.

They continued their tour of the area, pausing in a kind of canteen for some food and drink. Suddenly, Harry's scar gave him a jolt of pain. It subsided quickly but did not really go away. He looked around quickly, hand to his forehead, trying to find a possible source for this. At last, he met the eyes of a man seated in a corner, which made the pain increase again. The man had a dark complexion, brown hair slicked back, and a piercing gaze. Before Harry turned his eyes away, he thought he saw a vague, insect-like shape beside the man.

While Harry had been searching for the source of his discomfort, his friends had noticed and were asking him what was wrong.

"That man over there," he answered quietly. "The one in the corner wearing a brown suit. He seems to be making my scar hurt."

"He looks rather like a used auto salesman," commented Hermione, who happened to be facing in the correct direction. "A little slippery, if you know what I mean."

Lennier had also cast a glance that way.

"It's Morden," he said, and the distaste was evident in his voice. "He works for the Shadows. Perhaps we should leave."

Once they had settled their tab and left the vicinity, Lennier turned to Harry with interest.

"You sensed something about Morden?"

"His presence seemed to make my curse scar hurt."

"Was there…anything else?"

Harry hesitated but decided to go ahead and tell the truth.

"I thought I saw some kind of shape beside him. I couldn't see it clearly; I just got an impression of an angular head and a lot of legs."

"That is very interesting," Lennier said thoughtfully. "It seems that you can sense the presence of Shadows. We knew that telepaths could do it, but we'd never heard of anyone else. I do not like to interrupt the captain's meeting, but this could be important information. Follow me."

Meanwhile, Captain Sheridan had just finished telling his senior staff what he had learned about the four wizards.

"I believe they are who and what they say they are," he concluded, "and I don't believe they're a threat to the station. However, we still need to decide what to do with them. Delenn has been very accommodating, and I don't want to abuse her hospitality. The kids probably have no way of paying rent on their own quarters, but I'm not prepared to send them Down Below, either. Suggestions?"

"If they really have all of these abilities, maybe they can pay us in kind?" suggested Ivanova. "Provide services?"

"Yes, it's a possibility," the captain agreed. "I've already wondered what they might be able to do against the Shadows. It's our war, though, not theirs. If they're to get involved, I want their participation to be strictly voluntary."

"Understood."

"By the way, Captain," said Garibaldi. "I thought you might like to know that G'Kar's been asking about these kids. He wants to speak with them."

"Why?" Sheridan asked.

"I don't know. It appears he's heard some rumors about them. Probably wants a sample of their DNA or something."

"None of them is old enough to give that kind of consent."

"Well, technically, Captain, they're all around 280 years old," replied Garibaldi apologetically.

"That doesn't change the fact that they are, in actuality, 15 or 16. I'm not going to split hairs over this."

"No, but G'Kar probably will. You know him."

Sheridan paused and sighed.

"Yes, I do. All right, I won't prevent him from speaking with them. Could you hold him off a little longer, though? Say, maybe until tomorrow?"

"I think so."

"Good. Do it."

"John? If I may?" interjected Delenn politely. He nodded to her, and she continued. "If I were in the position of these young persons, I would want nothing more than to get home. If we can find a way to help them in this, I think they will not be here long."

"Delenn, I've only traveled through time once, and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. I'm no expert, and I don't know anyone on the station who is."

"But someone brought them here," she continued earnestly. "There must have been some reason for this. Perhaps they were sent here for a purpose they do not themselves understand. Once this purpose is fulfilled, the same someone who brought them will send them back again."

Sheridan paced up and down the room, deep in thought.

"You may be right," he said at last. "God knows, it makes at least as much sense as the rest of this insane mess. I'm at least willing to do what I can to help solve this puzzle, if that's what it is."

At that point, Lennier entered with his four charges in tow.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," he said, bowing politely, "but something has just happened that I think you should know."

Sheridan noticed that Harry was absently rubbing at the scar on his forehead. As Lennier proceeded to explain their encounter with Morden, the captain became more interested. He looked at Harry intently.

"What, exactly, did you experience?" he asked Harry, wanting to hear it from him directly.

"Well, first my scar started hurting," Harry began uncertainly. "Mostly, that's only happened to me when the dark wizard Voldemort was nearby. It's also happened when he was feeling something strongly, but it didn't seem like I was feeling anything that wasn't my own, so I looked around. I saw a man in the corner who seemed to be the focus of the pain. And beside him I saw a vague, spindly shape. That's all."

"All right," said Sheridan, making a decision. "Please sit down, all of you. I wasn't sure about getting you involved in all this, but it appears that you _are_ involved, whether we like it or not."

Everyone seated themselves, as instructed, and the captain proceeded to give them a brief overview of the Shadows.

"We know very little about these Shadows," Sheridan began, "except that they are ancient beings, older than humans or Minbari. Apparently, every 1,000 years or so, they surface and spread chaos and destruction. We don't know why. We're beginning to piece together their process for doing this. At first, they didn't want anyone to know what they were doing, or even who or what they were. They used agents, like this Mr. Morden you encountered. These agents helped to pit one people against another, starting small wars, maybe to distract attention from what they are really doing, which is, we believe, massing their power and assembling allies for the big war that is to come. This is what their ships look like."

At this point, he brought up some of the footage they had on Shadow vessels.

"Ugh. They look like giant spiders," commented Ron.

"These ships are partly organic," Sheridan continued. He heard Hermione whisper "living material" to the others. "Each one is piloted by an intelligent being, whose brain is wired directly into the ship's computer."

"That's – that's awful!" exclaimed Hermione in horror. "Where do they get these – people?"

"We suspect that at least some of them are beings that were captured by the Shadows, or sold to them. We have learned that the Shadows are afraid of telepaths, and we believe that we can use telepaths to disrupt their ships long enough for us to destroy them. We haven't tested this yet, but we're planning to do it soon. Now, I'm telling you this because you all have unusual abilities. I'm asking you if you know of any way that you could help us against these things."

There was silence for a while. The four kids exchanged glances and seemed to be thinking it over.

"You don't have to answer right away," the captain said. "I understand that you didn't ask to be brought here, and I recognize that it isn't your war. I'm just asking if you think you are willing or able to assist us in any way."

"Unfortunately," Hermione said thoughtfully, "not having the resources of the Hogwarts library may make it a bit difficult for us to find useful spells. Potions, of course, are out of the question due to the lack of ingredients. And, to be honest, we're all still in training. I don't know if we could come up with enough power to do any good."

"I think we'll need some time to think it over, if you don't mind," said Harry.

"Of course. You can go now, if you want. I'd like to move you to your own quarters tomorrow. Thank you for your input, Delenn. I think we're finished here."

Lennier, Delenn, and the four young humans exited without comment. Once they were gone, however, Ivanova spoke.

"Captain, you're going to use them as bait, aren't you?" she accused.

"In a way," Sheridan answered. "Look, this information indicates that Harry, at least, has some kind of connection to the Shadows. If the Shadows are the reason those kids are here, we need to know that. And we need to know if the Shadows know anything about them."

"Well, just for the record, I don't like it," answered Ivanova.

"I don't, either," echoed Garibaldi.

"Frankly, neither do I," replied the captain. "There are a lot of decisions I've had to make in the last year that I haven't liked, but it's been my responsibility to make them. Find some available quarters in Green Sector, not too far from where they are now. Then we'll watch and see what happens."

--

Author's Note: The plot thickens. Don't ask about why Harry can sense the Shadows because it won't be explained in this story. It's one of those things that I plan to deal with down the road, so you'll just have to wait.

Review responses:

L-dawg: I know the tour wasn't very long, and they didn't run into too many "colorful" characters. Sorry about that, but I'm just establishing a connection between the worlds.

Ranger Aurora: You know, I'd never actually thought about how Delenn sent Susan and Marcus off together. Of course, it was pretty good cover that Marcus spoke Minbari fluently. Glad you liked Lyta's involvement.

Samael3: Hey! Don't steal my thunder! Anyway, no, there won't be any major magical involvement of that nature. Like I said, I respect the canon of Babylon 5, so I'll be messing with it as little as possible.


	7. Chapter 7: Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: This is a rather long, shippy chapter. Ron and Hermione get into a fight, and we all know that Delenn doesn't like friction very much, so one thing leads to another.

Chapter 7 – Confessions

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting on the floor in the eating area of Delenn's suite, discussing their options. Delenn and Lennier had withdrawn so that the four of them could speak freely.

"I'm not really sure how much use we can be," said Ginny. "I'd like to help, of course, but I doubt that Bat-Bogey Hexes and Cheering Charms are going to be much use in this situation."

"Not only that," agreed Harry, "but we're also limited by what spells we can remember and those few books we managed to bring."

Hermione was busy searching through the book on counterjinxes that had served as Ron and Harry's Portkey.

"Why are you all so eager to risk your lives to help people we hardly know?" asked Ron at last. "Are you all jumping on board with Harry's 'saving people thing?'"

At this, Hermione looked up from her book, eyes flashing dangerously.

"It's more than that, Ron, and you know it," she said. "Maybe we don't know them well, but they don't know us either, and they took us in when they didn't have to. I think we owe them something."

"Maybe," continued Ron stubbornly, "but does it have to be this drastic? I mean, are we really going to just get on board some spaceship and go to battle with God-knows-what?"

"Why not?" Ginny challenged. "It's not like we haven't done it before. Well, except for the spaceship part. Besides, maybe fighting the Darkness here will help us to do it back home."

"But that's the point, isn't it?" Ron replied, jumping to his feet. "I just want to find a way home. Is that so wrong? Can't we even debate this before we jump into the dragon's mouth?"

"I think we are," Harry murmured, but he was ignored by all but Ginny, who only looked at him helplessly.

"Why must you always be so obstinate, Ron?" Hermione retorted, standing also. "Just because the rest of us think it's a good idea, you have to oppose it."

"That's not true! I just think we should give it a little thought, that's all!"

They were at it again, Harry thought. He had tuned it out by the time the argument descended into name-calling, but a new voice caught his attention.

"Enough." It was Delenn. She had approached unnoticed, no doubt drawn by the shouting. Her voice was not loud, but its tone was sharp, and Harry had the impression that she was accustomed to being obeyed. For the first time, she reminded him a little of Professor McGonagall. The two combatants stopped their fight immediately and turned to her in surprise. Harry and Ginny got to their feet.

"I have been speaking with your friends," Delenn continued, "and we have agreed that this behavior cannot continue."

She looked at Harry and Ginny significantly. Harry didn't know what to do, but Ginny took the cue.

"She's right," she said. "It's been going on far too long. We want you two to tell each other how you _really_ feel."

Ron and Hermione shifted their gaze to Harry and Ginny, both looking startled and even a bit frightened.

"What-what do you mean?" stammered Ron, beginning to turn red.

"You know perfectly well what we mean," replied Harry firmly. "You are going to stand there and say nice things about each other."

"I don't think you'll have too much difficulty," Ginny added dryly.

Harry reflected for a moment that this was beginning to look something like an old-fashioned duel. Ron and Hermione were standing facing each other, several paces apart. Harry stood beside Ron like his second, while Ginny was Hermione's second. Delenn was the moderator, trying to make certain that the rules of engagement were observed.

"I want Ron to go first," said Hermione stubbornly.

"Harry, I can't do this," whispered Ron, turning to Harry with a panicked expression. The color had now drained from his face, and his freckles stood out starkly against the white skin.

"Yes, you can. We aren't leaving this spot until you do. Just – start with something small."

Ron swallowed, and then took a deep breath. He didn't look at Hermione, but he did manage to speak.

"Er-Hermione, I was really impressed second year when you actually advocated breaking school rules to make the Polyjuice Potion. Good job brewing it, too."

"During the giant chess game in first year, when you sacrificed yourself so that Harry and I could continue on, I thought that was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen anyone do," said Hermione. In her typical, logical fashion, she seemed to be selecting events in chronological order. At her words, some color came back to Ron's face, and he straightened up to his full height.

"It was really brilliant the way you smacked Malfoy that time in third year," he said, gaining confidence. "I reckon you wouldn't have done, if it weren't for the stress of taking so many classes and all, but it was great! I even forgot to be angry with him!"

Hermione looked down but took a step towards him.

"I do appreciate your trying to defend me to Malfoy in second year, the first time he called me, well, you know. Even though I didn't really know what he meant, and even though it didn't work out so well."

"Didn't work out well? I was burping slugs for a day and a half!" Ron paused. "I'm sure I'd do it again, though. I have my own reasons to hate Malfoy, of course, but somehow, when he insults you, I lose all control and act like a complete idiot. I know it's stupid. You're a lot more capable than I am, but I still feel this insane need to protect you."

Ron shrugged and fell silent. Hermione just looked at him for a moment, a soft expression in her eyes. Ron had been looking down, but as the silence continued, he raised his eyes and met her gaze. Something seemed to pass between them. Then Ron took a step forward and broke eye contact.

"I'll never forget the way you stood up to Sirius Black in third year," said Hermione at last. "You thought he was a murderer, and you must have been in terrible pain from that broken leg, but you defied him anyway. That was…amazing."

Harry winced a little at the mention of Sirius. He still wasn't over his death.

Ron took one more step towards Hermione, looking more confident but still nervous.

"You looked really pretty at the Yule Ball," he said. "I'm sorry I never told you."

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, and she looked as though she were trying not to cry. She took a step forward so that they were now fairly close to each other.

Harry was becoming distinctly uncomfortable with the turn this conversation was taking. Desperately, he looked over at Delenn, catching her eye. She nodded first to him, then to Ginny. As she then began to withdraw from the room, Harry took that as a cue to exit. He and Ginny followed Delenn to the kitchen.

Ron didn't know why he'd put this day off so long. It was really going quite well. Hermione hadn't slapped him or walked away yet, which had to be a good sign.

"I'm really sorry I missed that last Quidditch match last year," Hermione said. "I didn't know what would happen, and Hagrid is so hard to say no to…"

"You and Harry already apologized for that," Ron reminded her, interrupting. "Besides, if we do get home, there will hopefully be more of them."

"I know. I just…would like to have been there to see it, that's all."

There was silence. Ron still had one confession to make, and it was more difficult than all the others. He didn't know if he'd ever get another opportunity like this, though, so he had to say it. He focused on a point over Hermione's head as he worked himself up for what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry I've been such a prat about Viktor Krum," he said at last. "Of course, you can write to whomever you like. I was just…" it took all of his Gryffindor courage to allow him to finish the sentence "…jealous."

Whatever Ron might have expected Hermione's reaction to be at this admission, it was definitely not what actually happened. Hermione cried, "Oh, Ron," and quickly closed the short distance between them, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. She said what sounded like two more syllables, but they were muffled by his clothing. Ron stood there for a moment, nonplussed, then instinctively wrapped his arms around her.

"Sorry?" he said. "I didn't catch that last bit." Hermione turned her head to the side to free her mouth for speech.

"I said, 'I know,'" she repeated, and Ron was astonished to find that she was crying. "Isn't that awful? I knew you were jealous, and I just let it go on. I mean, I never actually said there was anything between Viktor and me, but I didn't come out and say there wasn't, either. I just let you jump to conclusions…"

The words had all come out in a rush. Ron's mind was frantically struggling to process what had just been said. Although it could see up to five moves ahead on a chessboard, it tended to lag behind in this sort of situation. Ron also had added distractions at the moment, such as the contours of Hermione's body pressed against his, which really felt quite nice, despite the crying. He kept having to remind himself to breathe. He began thinking aloud.

"You…wanted me to be jealous?" he asked. This triggered another storm of words from Hermione.

"Y-yes. I hated myself for it, but once I'd started, I didn't know how to stop. And, God help me, I even enjoyed it some of the time. I'm so sorry."

Ron thought this over for a little while. Then he looked down at her.

"Hermione, look at me," he said quietly. Reluctantly, she raised her tear-streaked face towards him. Seeing the fear in her eyes tore at his heart. Still, he had to finish this. They were so close to something important.

"Why?" he asked. He was beginning to think he knew the answer, but he needed to hear her say it.

"Because…I was hoping…oh, it was stupid!" She couldn't meet Ron's eyes, but he continued to gaze at her steadily, his heart pounding madly. At last, Hermione finished, "I just wanted you to tell me that _you_ wanted me."

"I do want you," said Ron without thinking. He blushed almost immediately, but he wasn't about to take it back, not now.

"I – thank you," said Hermione meekly, wiping her face with one hand. Then she looked up into his face. "You're-you're not angry?"

Ron merely raised his eyebrows at her. Hermione giggled in spite of herself.

"Right. Silly question," she said. And she was right. Ron Weasley was _never_ this calm when he was angry.

"I suppose I ought to be," Ron said, "but I'm not. Actually, I think it's rather brilliant."

"How's that?"

"Well, think about it," answered Ron, grinning. "If I can make the ever-logical Hermione Granger act irrationally, that's really something, isn't it?" Hermione smiled but wasn't ready to let it go just yet.

"Can you forgive me?" she asked. "For – for hurting you? I never meant to."

"There's nothing to forgive," he said, looking straight into her eyes. "I've hurt you, too. I know I have, and if you've been feeling anything like I have, I think I understand. It's…scary."

"I know. Me, too," replied Hermione in a barely audible whisper. Ron was losing himself in the depths of her dark eyes. Some of her abundant hair had fallen into her face, and he reached out to push it back. His hand was trembling, and a shock went through it as he touched her. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, just a little. _Breathe, _he thought to himself Damn. When had she gotten so beautiful? Had she changed, or had he? Maybe it was a little of both. When she opened her eyes again, he suddenly felt a rush of warmth and anticipation. Anticipating…what? He thought frantically, but before he could figure it out, the moment passed. Hermione seemed a little disappointed as she looked away quickly. Ron had a distinct feeling that he had missed something. He felt the need to break the silence.

"Hermione?" he began, and she gazed at him again. "Whatever happens, I don't want to go back to the way things were. The fighting, the misunderstandings."

"I can't promise we won't fight."

"I know, but let's just try to stop before either of us gets really upset."

"And apologize if we do go too far."

"Right."

He pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head.

"I was wrong," Ron said finally. "You _can _feel four things at once without exploding. You just _want_ to explode."

Hermione was silent for a few moments. At last, she responded.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you that night. You know, the teaspoon comment? I was wrong, too."

A little later, Hermione stepped regretfully away from him, and Ron tried not to think about how cold he suddenly felt.

"I suppose we ought to tell the others they can come back. All right, everyone," she called out. "It's safe to come in."

Meanwhile, Delenn, Harry, and Ginny stood in the kitchen area, waiting for Ron and Hermione to conclude their conversation. Ginny peeked at them now and again, curiosity apparently overcoming her sense of propriety. Harry stood resolutely with his back to that part of the quarters.

"I wonder if they'll fight less now," Harry mused.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Ginny. "I doubt it will stop completely. They're both stubborn as anything, which is bound to lead to some arguments. Besides, they might even find that they enjoy fighting with each other."

"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Harry incredulously. "Why would anyone enjoy having a row?" Ginny looked at him pityingly.

"So they can make up afterwards," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh. Oh! Eww," Harry said, catching on at last. "Did you really have to mention that? This is my two best friends we're talking about!"

"How do you think _I_ feel?" laughed Ginny, wrinkling her nose. "One of them just happens to be my nearest brother. And the other is a friend who tells me all of her 'girl stuff,' so I'm likely to hear about practically _everything._"

Ginny sighed dramatically and looked to the ceiling in a mock pose of martyrdom. Harry laughed in spite of himself.

"You're right," he admitted. "You do have the worst of it. I'm sure I'll be hearing stuff from Ron, too, but at least I'm not related to either of them."

"Oh, well, it's bound to be better than having them pining after each other. I got both sides of that, and I bet you did, too."

"Not really," Harry disagreed. "Ron never came right out and said anything to me, although I did have to deal with some of his jealous fits when Hermione was writing another long letter to Viktor Krum. Hermione didn't talk to me about it at all. So, other than the constant arguing, I wasn't that affected."

"Ah yes, the sexual tension," said Ginny knowingly. Harry was shocked at her casual use of the word, and he felt himself growing warm.

"The-the what?" he managed through his embarrassment.

"I am not familiar with this phrase," added Delenn. "What does it mean?"

"It's used in Muggle literature all the time," said Ginny, blushing a little in her turn. "When two people are attracted to each other but want to hide it, they create sexual tension between themselves. This can show itself in many ways, but a common one is for them to fight a lot over silly things."

"How very strange," said Delenn. "Humans are indeed fascinating. Every day, I find there is more to learn of them."

"But you are half human, aren't you?" asked Harry, grateful for a change of topic.

"Yes, but physical transformation does not replace cultural experience. Inside, I still feel like a Minbari."

That made sense. The three of them continued to compare cultures (Muggle, wizard, and Minbari) until they heard Hermione call out to them.

--

Author's Note: The "missed kiss" moment was something that actually happened to me with my first boyfriend (it will be addressed more in the next chapter). He admitted later that he'd felt like he missed something but didn't know what.

Review responses:

Hilary Weston: I always thought "car" was an Americanism. I suppose it's crept into the British vernacular in recent years, but in earlier literature, a personal motor vehicle was always an auto, and gasoline was petrol.

Ranger Aurora: I do tend to put in my own feelings about characters into the descriptions, and that's how Morden struck me. Wait until we get to Marcus – I do a small amount of parody with that.


	8. Chapter 8: Battling the Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: All right, just to stem the tide of any criticism I might get, I will remind everyone that this was written some three years ago, and it contains what is probably my first attempt at an action scene. I don't think it's bad, but if you're expecting something on the level of Destiny's Call, you might be disappointed. Also, this takes place in 1996 for our world (I have the Harry Potter events occurring at the same time the Babylon 5 episode originally aired, which actually works out quite nicely), so electronic key-cards were still pretty new.

Chapter 8 – Battling the Darkness

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny spent the remainder of the afternoon learning how to use some of the basic functions of the station computer. Since they would be moving to their own quarters soon, they needed to know how the doors and communications functions worked, at the very least. Harry and Hermione picked up on it the fastest because they had both received some computer exposure in primary school. The Grangers also had a personal computer at home, of course, though Hermione hadn't been there to use it much in recent years. Similarly, Dudley had computers, but Harry had scarcely been allowed to look at them (while they were still functioning, anyway), let alone actually use them.

Hermione was particularly intrigued by the sheer volume of data she could access simply by requesting it. The others had to persuade her that she would have plenty of time later for the informational aspects of the computer system. Fortunately, the computer obeyed some verbal commands, which made it more likely that Ron and Ginny would be able to use it as well.

Zack Allan, the security person who had initially found Ron and Harry when they arrived on the station, stopped by to give them all items that he called identicards. He explained that these cards would open the door to their new quarters and also contained some information about them.

"Oh, sort of like hotel key-cards," Hermione said. The other three just looked at her blankly. Harry could only remember staying in a hotel once in his life, when the Dursleys were trying to escape the flock of owls trying to deliver Harry's first Hogwarts letter, and the doors there had used ordinary keys. Hermione just sighed and dropped the subject.

"I've gotta go now," Zack said. "Apparently, someone's owl got loose and crashed into one of the booths at the Zocalo. People and their pets."

The four witches and wizards looked at each other, startled. No, they all seemed to decide simultaneously. It couldn't be.

Later that evening, Ron and Harry were preparing to spend their last night in a Minbari bedchamber. Ron seemed a bit distracted, and Harry asked how things had gone with Hermione.

"Quite well, really," Ron began, and then he seemed to think of something. "Hang on. You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I knew you fancied her, yes, but I only suspected Hermione's feelings for you. Ginny's the one that knew."

"Well, why didn't she say anything then?"

"Really, Ron," replied Harry, looking at his friend in astonishment. "She was keeping Hermione's confidence. Would you have really wanted me to go to Hermione and say, 'You know, Ron's really mad about you. You should do something about it.'"

"I suppose not."

"Well, then. Ginny didn't want to do that to Hermione, either."

There was a pause. Then, Harry just couldn't resist asking a question. It seemed only fair; Ron had wanted to know about Harry and Cho last year.

"So…did you kiss her?" To Harry's surprise, Ron slapped his hand to his forehead with a resounding smack.

"Bloody hell!" he swore. "_That's_ what I missed!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' then, shall I?" Harry said, trying not to smile. He knew that he wouldn't find it funny if he were in Ron's place.

"The moment was there, and I bleeding missed it! I am such an idiot," Ron said.

"No, you're not," Harry reassured him. "She probably didn't even notice."

"Oh no, she noticed. I saw the look in her eyes…bloody hell! How is a bloke to know these things?"

"Don't ask me, mate. Cho kissed me, not the other way round. I haven't a clue." Harry paused, then continued, "I rather wish she hadn't."

"What?" responded Ron, distracted from his self-recriminations. "Why? Was it that bad?"

"No, just…I'm not sure how to put it. It just put some obligations on me that I wasn't sure I wanted. She didn't really seem ready, either."

"Oh. Well, what do I do now?"

"Why should you do anything?"

"I've got to find that moment again." Then Ron was struck with a horrible idea. "Oh, no! What if she thinks I didn't _want_ to kiss her? That would be bloody awful!"

"Calm down, Ron. Just don't do or say anything about it. She'll just assume that you were being your usual thick self and missed it, which is true."

"Thanks a lot," said Ron sarcastically. "You're not much help, you know."

Harry just shrugged and settled himself onto the bed, trying not to think about that cute spray of freckles across Ginny's nose or how pretty she looked when her eyes were twinkling with mischief. She's just my best friend's sister, he told himself. That's all.

Right.

The following morning, the four kids took advantage of the shower one more time. They had been told that their new quarters would have a sonic shower instead of real water, and none of them was yet comfortable with how those worked. They then packed up their few belongings and headed down the hall, following Lennier. Their new quarters were only about four doors down from Delenn's, but it was still a fair distance because the doors were widely spaced. Lennier assisted them in using one of their cards to open the door. Once this had been accomplished, he bowed to them.

"If you need anything, please feel free to contact either Delenn or myself," he said. Then he was gone.

"Well then," said Hermione in a businesslike manner. "Shall we?"

Harry was the last one to enter, and the door closed behind him. He hadn't stepped far into the room before his scar began to hurt with a strange, erratic throbbing, almost as though two entities lay beneath his skin, fighting to get out. He rubbed at it, and then drew his wand.

"Something's wrong," he told the others. "There's something in here."

The others pulled out their wands as well, though no one could see anything. Ginny went over to the controls by the door, trying to open it. Harry wondered vaguely why Hermione hadn't thought of that. Then Harry sensed a presence in the doorway of one of the bedrooms and thought he caught a flicker.

"There," he pointed. Then, a burst of light erupted from the bedroom. It hit Ron, and he stumbled backwards into Ginny. Harry was momentarily blinded, but when the light dissipated, he discovered that the odd throbbing in his forehead was gone. His scar still hurt, but it was a steady ache now. The Shadow creature was now visible, its angular head perched on a small body supported by insectlike legs. Two smaller appendages were folded beneath the head, looking something like the forelegs of a praying mantis. The others seemed to see it as well. Ginny groped for the control panel again and hit the communication button.

"Ambassador Delenn," she said in command, but she didn't wait for a response before adding, "Delenn, there's a Shadow. Come—" she broke off and cried out as the panel gave off sparks. She shot a burst of energy out of her wand, and the Shadow seemed to shrink into itself briefly. Harry raised his wand and said the first thing that came into his head.

"Expelliarmus!" The spell had no apparent affect, except to draw the creature's attention. The triangular head turned towards him. Immediately, his scar gave him a searing pain that forced him to his knees. Then something was running into his eyes. Blood, he realized. He shifted his wand to his left hand and covered the newly opened scar with his right. Hermione uttered a curse at the creature. The head turned towards her, and she was thrown back against the wall. Her head hit a light fixture, and she crumpled to the floor.

Ron had recovered his bearings just in time to see this. He uttered an inhuman cry of rage and anguish and leapt at the Shadow.

"Ron, no!" shouted Ginny in horror, and she tried to reach for him, but he was far too strong. Harry knew from experience that Ron in a rage was a force to be reckoned with.

Watching Ron struggle with the Shadow was surreal. It tore at him with its spindly legs, but most of his punches seemed to go right through. Occasionally, Ron remembered to use his wand, but usually to little or no effect. Harry was trying to aim with his one available eye, but he was too concerned about hitting his friend by accident.

"Forget spells. Just use pure energy," Ginny called out while firing rapid bursts. She either didn't share Harry's fear of hitting Ron or was more certain of her aim. Harry saw the triangular head turn momentarily from Ron and turn towards Ginny. Desperately, he pulled her to the floor just as the Shadow sent out a burst of energy.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked him irritably. Then she noticed the wires exposed through a hole in the wall that had just appeared where her head had been. At this, she seemed shaken.

"By all means, blow it to pieces," responded Harry. "But for God's sake, stay down!"

There was beeping at the door, but it seemed to be jammed. There were noises outside. Harry suddenly realized that he and Ginny were crouched down in front of the doorway, which could be a problem if their would-be rescuers managed to find a way through. He motioned to Ginny, and she followed him off to the side. This also allowed them to find furniture to use for cover. They continued firing their energy bursts as well as they could. Ron was clearly weakening, his berserk rage fading. He was now fighting for his survival.

At last, the door opened a crack, and Harry glanced over to see hands trying to push it out of the way. Maybe it was his imagination, but the Shadow seemed to be…fading, somehow. As a security team appeared at the doorway, the Shadow threw Ron from itself and attempted to retreat. It was too late, however. The weapons of the security team and the focused energy of Harry & Ginny's wands converged upon it, and the Shadow blew apart, leaving no visible sign.

"What the hell?" said Garibaldi, moving into the room ahead of the others. Harry removed his glasses, wiped his eyes free of sweat and blood, and then replaced the glasses on his nose. Once he could see again, he took in the situation. He saw that Captain Sheridan and Delenn had also entered the room. Ron was breathing heavily and appeared to be bleeding from several places. Ignoring everyone else, he crawled painfully over to Hermione, who appeared to be unconscious. Harry noticed for the first time the streak of blood where Hermione had hit her head and more pooling where she lay. God, there was so much blood!

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Ron was whispering, tears streaming down his face. Harry was surprised; he couldn't ever remember seeing Ron cry before. "Please be alive. Please don't leave me."

While Garibaldi directed his team to search the rest of the quarters, Delenn came over to Harry.

"It's all right," he said, referring to his bleeding forehead. "It should stop soon."

"Sheridan to Medlab. I need a team to my signal ASAP." Sheridan went over to check on Ron and Hermione. He checked Hermione for a pulse, then laid his hand on Ron's shoulder. A shock seemed to pass through both of them, almost as though a powerful static charge had been released through their contact. When it had passed, Ron fell unconscious. Ginny gasped and ran over to him. Sheridan seemed to be disoriented for a moment. He shook his head to clear it, then turned to Harry.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked.

Harry told everything as best he could, closing his eyes and leaning back against a chair. When the medical staff arrived, he tried to tell them he was fine, but he was taken to Medlab along with the others.

--

Author's Note: Well, you've just read the scene that gave the story a T rating, in my opinion. It's also really the only cliffhanger in the story, and you guys are lucky. Since it's already written, you won't have to wait long to find out what happens.

Review responses:

Ranger Aurora: Um, well, kind of? This was originally posted on a Harry Potter-only site, so the focus is on those characters. Like I said, the main reason I put it under B-5 was because there's less competition there.

SnakeEyes16: Glad you liked it. First, you got your fluff, and now, there's some action. That should keep you pretty happy, right?

selenepotter: Interesting theory you have about telepaths, but I'm going a slightly different direction, which will be dealt with in the sequel.


	9. Chapter 9: Recovery

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: I forgot to mention last chapter that the idea of an owl wreaking havoc in the Zocalo was my husband's idea. He said it as a gag, but I end up carrying it further in the final chapter.

Chapter 9 – Recovery

Hermione awoke several hours later with a pounding headache. Her injury, it turned out, had not been serious. Like most scalp wounds, it had bled a lot but done no real damage. The doctors had simply stopped the bleeding, washed her hair, and given her some fluids to help her replace the blood she'd lost. Once she was awake and the doctors were satisfied that her brain was functioning normally, they released her. She refused to leave Medlab, however, as Ron was still unconscious. The others had told her what had happened, and she wouldn't leave his bedside except when absolutely necessary. Her meals were brought there, and the little sleep she got was taken in the chair beside his bed. Harry and Ginny had been there at first, of course, but Ginny couldn't handle seeing her brother like that for long.

"I've never seen him so still in my whole life," she'd said, and Harry had taken her away. Hermione didn't even know where they were staying now.

Ron did lay unnaturally still in his unconsciousness, and Hermione tried not to think about how pale and drawn he looked. It bothered her, too, but she had to be there when he woke up. She didn't allow herself to think that he might not. He'd apparently had some internal bleeding, but the wounds had miraculously closed themselves before he even got to Medlab. Fortunately, the doctors had been able to obtain enough information from his external injuries to synthesize blood for him. Hermione was grateful for that, as she knew Ginny would have been the most likely match for a transfusion. She couldn't imagine having to tell Mrs. Weasley that her daughter had had to give blood to save her youngest son, especially if it hadn't worked. In fact, if Hermione hadn't been so concerned about Ron, she would have found the medical practices of this time period fascinating.

Hermione had surreptitiously done a few healing spells on Ron. She'd been secretive not so much to hide the fact that she was a witch as to not offend the doctors, in case they were to figure out what she was doing. In any case, she didn't know that much healing magic, so she had to trust to advanced Muggle medicine and Ron's own inner strength. The doctors saw no reason that he wouldn't recover. After all, he was young and healthy, and his breathing and pulse rates were steady.

"Maybe your stubbornness will do you some good," she said, tears in her eyes. "Keep fighting."

Hermione held Ron's cool hand and talked to him almost constantly, in case he could hear her. She reminded him of experiences they'd shared, told him things she'd learned about the station and its inhabitants, and, when she ran out of things to say, she recited passages from Hogwarts, A History.

By the second day, Hermione's tears had dried up, but she continued her vigil. At some point in the middle of the day, she must have dozed off because she awoke to find a stranger sitting in a chair near her. He was an alien, a Narn by the look of him. She knew this because there were plenty of them in Medlab. His appearance initially startled her, but she saw that he had small glasses perched on his nose and was reading a thick, ancient-looking book. This reassured her. He seemed to sense her gaze because he looked up and removed his glasses.

"I'm sorry," he said in a deep, soothing voice. "I hope I didn't startle you. I'm glad you're awake. I am Citizen G'Kar, of Narn. You may not be aware that I wanted to speak with you and your friends."

Hermione shook her head, and the alien continued.

"Well, I heard of your extraordinary abilities and hoped you might be willing to help my people. You see, we are oppressed by another race. They conquered us some time ago, and we are reduced to an underground resistance, trying to throw them from our homeworld. I was forced to request asylum from Captain Sheridan. If I were to leave this station, I would quickly be arrested by the Centauri, tortured, and probably executed."

Hermione was horrified.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she managed, unsure of what else to say. She tried to imagine not being able to go home. "Why do they want you so badly?"

"Many reasons, but it's not important," G'Kar said, waving off her apology. "I only tell you this to explain my interest in you. I had hoped that you might be willing to help my people with your talents. I have already spoken with your other friends, however, and after reflection and meditation, I believe that you all have a greater purpose. My people will have to regain their independence on their own. This is, perhaps, as it should be. It had occurred to me, of course, that I might be able to collect blood samples from one or more of you. We could use that to determine the genetic code that makes you the way you are and introduce it into our own race. All of our telepaths were wiped out a thousand years ago, and this might have proved just as beneficial. However, such an enterprise would take generations, even assuming it were possible, and I think you have lost enough blood between you."

Hermione was confused.

"I don't mean to be rude, but if you have nothing to ask of us, why are you here?" she asked.

"Primarily curiosity. I understand that you have destroyed one of the Ancient Enemy. I was anxious to meet anyone who could do that." G'Kar gestured towards the motionless figure on the bed. "Is he the one that went after it directly?"

"That's what they tell me. I was already unconscious by then. I don't doubt it, though." The tears Hermione had thought were gone now prickled again behind her eyes.

"Strange. He doesn't look much like a warrior."

"He is, though," Hermione said, a little more forcefully than she might have intended. "He's a great fighter because we've needed him to be. I don't think he knew what he was getting into when he befriended Harry Potter more than five years ago. Harry wouldn't have survived this long without his loyalty and support, and he's helped save my life more than once."

Hermione had surprised herself with this speech, and she fell silent for a moment. When G'Kar didn't say anything, though, she continued, in a softer voice.

"He can't leave us now. We need him." _I need him,_ she added silently. Again, there was silence for a while. At last, G'Kar spoke.

"Tell him," he said, and Hermione looked up to see that red, piercing gaze boring into her. "Tell him how _you_ feel about him."

"I-I don't know what to say," Hermione said, looking away.

"I think you do."

"I don't even know if he can hear me."

"That doesn't matter. I have lost many people through war, and I have learned that it is never too soon to tell someone what he or she means to you. All too often, it becomes too late before you have the chance. It sounds as though you are facing war in your own world. Even if you all make it through this, there will be other dangers. Tell him. Whether he can hear you or not, you will feel better knowing that his spirit, at least, may be listening."

Hermione let these words sink into her for a few seconds. Then she looked up at G'Kar and nodded slowly.

"Excellent. Well, I shall intrude upon you no longer." He took his book in one hand, glasses in another, and pressed them to his chest, giving her a short bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

After he had left, Hermione turned back to the bed. She took Ron's hand and at last uttered the words she had never dared to speak aloud, not even late at night when her dorm mates were asleep.

"Ron, I love you," she whispered. Then, she gathered her strength and spoke more strongly. "I love you. I'm not sure when it happened. I suppose it would be very dramatic to say that I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, but I can't say that's true. It crept up on me slowly, so that I didn't even notice it. One morning, I just woke up to realize that you were the first thing I thought of when my eyes opened, the last thing I thought of before going to sleep. I wanted to be with you as much as possible. I couldn't even concentrate on my schoolwork sometimes. Please don't leave me. I need you. I love you."

The last words were quiet but firm, and she looked down at the two joined hands, drained with the effort of what she had just said and wondering if she would have to do it again someday when Ron was conscious. Suddenly, the hand she held squeezed hers, and she looked up quickly to see blue eyes gazing at her steadily.

"I love you, too," Ron rasped. Then he swallowed, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why…is my mouth…so dry?"

Hermione scarcely heard him. She stood up and bounced on the balls of her feet, uncertain what to do. Although she had been hoping for this to happen, she hadn't really prepared for it.

"Ron! You're awake, you're alive, you're…" Hermione trailed off, not knowing quite what to say. "Hang on, I should tell someone."

Forgetting that there was a communication device near the bed, she exited the curtained area and grabbed the first staff person she saw.

"He's awake," she said with all the eloquence she could muster, pointing at Ron.

The technician peered in, checked the computer display, said, "I'll get the doctor," and left again. Hermione noticed that Ron was trying to push himself up.

"No, don't," she said quickly. "Here, let me…." She found the controls on the side of the bed and managed to slowly adjust it so that Ron was in more of a sitting position.

"Is that better?" she asked. A small part of her brain told her to try and say something more intelligent, but the rest was too relieved and happy to care.

Ron nodded, but added, "Everything hurts, though." At this point, Dr. Hobbs entered.

"Glad to see you up," the doctor said pleasantly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit repeatedly with a Bludger," Ron replied. Dr. Hobbs looked at him blankly, and then turned to Hermione with a questioning expression."

"Like he's been hit by a motorbus," Hermione translated, hoping that motorbuses weren't so obsolete that the doctor wouldn't understand that, either.

"Ah," said Dr. Hobbs, seeming to comprehend. She viewed the displays of his vital statistics and began to check him over as she continued speaking. "Well, that's to be expected. Anything else?"

"I'm really thirsty. And hungry. Could I get something to eat?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile. This was her Ron, all right.

"I think I can arrange that," the doctor answered, a faint smile hovering at her mouth as well. She continued to examine him, asking him where he hurt the most and so on. When that was finished, she asked some basic questions such as his name, birth date, and if he knew where he was. Apparently satisfied, she told Ron that she would like him to stay at least one more day and that she would send a meal in shortly. "I'll also tell your other friends that you are awake."

"Another day? How long have I been here?" Ron asked once the doctor had left.

"You were unconscious for about a day and a half." Hermione could no longer contain her happiness. She awkwardly hugged him. "I'm so glad you're back!"

It wasn't enough; she needed something more to relieve her feelings. So, she kissed him, full on the mouth. Ron responded to her quickly, and she found herself using the moment to pour out all of her relief, concern, and love. Hermione's mind seemed to separate from her body, and she lost all sense of time.

After what seemed an eternity, although it was probably only a few seconds, Hermione broke the kiss and sank back into the chair, breathless. Ron kept his eyes closed for a moment, then opened them, grinned, and gazed at her with such intensity that Hermione was glad that she was sitting down.

"Wow," Ron breathed softly. Before anything more could be said, though, they heard the voice of someone approaching.

"Excuse me, but is everything all right in here?" said the nurse as she entered.

"Of-of course," Hermione said, trying not to sound as flustered as she felt. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"The computer just recorded a sudden increase in your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature," the nurse responded, turning to Ron. Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She had done all that to him? She cursed herself inwardly for choosing such an inopportune time for her emotional display.

A blush crept up Ron's face, as well, and Hermione was dismayed that he even looked pale when he was flushed.

"Are you sure you're all right?" the nurse asked again.

"I'm fine," Ron said shortly. The nurse looked at him narrowly, checked the instruments again, and then nodded and took her leave. It might have been Hermione's imagination, but she thought she saw a ghost of a smile on the woman's face.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly when they were alone again. "That was probably not the best time. Are you really okay?"

"Are you joking? It was amazing! I'd stay here forever if I could wake up like that every morning." Ron suddenly seemed to realize what he'd said, and he reddened again. "That is…I mean, er…"

"It's okay. I understand," Hermione interrupted, wanting to ease his discomfort. There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"I think Harry must have been doing it wrong," Ron commented at last.

"What?" Hermione responded, truly lost.

"You know, kissing. It's wonderful! Not at all like he described."

"Oh. Thank you. I thought so, too," said Hermione shyly. Then she fell silent again.

Searching for a new topic, Ron noticed something affixed to his left hand.

"What's this?" he asked.

"They've been putting fluids directly into your bloodstream to help replace the blood you lost. There's also glucose to keep your blood sugar level up. Your mother would doubtless not approve."

The two grinned at each other, remembering how upset Mrs. Weasley had been upon discovering that her husband had experimented with Muggle medicine.

"Anyway, they'll probably remove it once you eat and get your digestive system going again," Hermione said clinically. Then she took Ron's hand and said, with admirable British understatement, "It's nice to have you back."

The following day, Captain Sheridan and Delenn stopped by Medlab to see Ron and the others. Hermione had actually left the previous evening to get a real night's sleep. However, she was back, along with Harry and Ginny. After an exchange of pleasantries, Sheridan got down to business.

"The good news first," said Sheridan. "Our mission to engage Shadow vessels and attempt to disrupt them with telepaths was a success. Now we know we have a weapon we can use to weaken them."

"So you won't need us?" Hermione asked.

"I wouldn't turn down any help at this point, but…well, we'll get to that later. You know, I've never heard of anyone attacking a Shadow with their bare hands before," he commented to Ron.

"I don't recommend it," Ron replied ruefully, grimacing at the insanity of what he had done. "I don't know what came over me."

"I do," said Ginny, smiling at him both fondly and exasperatedly. "And it's why we all love you so. Of course, it also makes us out of our minds with worry."

Harry put his arm around Ginny's shoulders and gave her a quick, sideways hug. Their friendship had deepened during all the time they'd had alone together recently, but he was still confused about the way he was beginning to see her. He also had no idea how Ron might react if he knew how Harry was starting to feel about Ginny. He'd seemed open to it last year, but Harry thought it best to take things slowly. Besides, she was still dating Dean. At least, Harry thought she was, but she hadn't mentioned him once since they'd been here. Harry was inexperienced with relationships, but that seemed odd to him.

"Anyway," the captain continued, "you've received an unusual invitation. As soon as you are fit to travel, Draal wants you to come and visit him." He looked closely at the four young people, as though expecting some kind of reaction. When they all regarded him with blank stares, he shrugged and turned to Delenn.

"There is a planet below the station," she explained. "Two years ago, we learned that it is actually a large machine, operated by a sentient being at its core. At that time, the person at the heart of the machine had been there too long and was no longer able to work it properly. A Minbari named Draal, my mentor and friend, agreed to take the burden. He appeared to me yesterday and asked me to invite you all down to the planet. He seemed to know you."

"I've never heard of him," Harry answered truthfully. The others murmured agreement.

"Well, he's a friend and ally, but it's up to you whether you want to go," Sheridan said.

The four kids looked at each other and shrugged.

"Why not?" asked Harry, who was actually a little stir-crazy after being completely surrounded by steel for several days. What he really wanted to do was get on a broomstick and fly around for a while. He supposed that a ride in a spaceship was the closest he'd be able to come out here.

"It sounds fascinating," Hermione agreed, her eyes lighting up with the thought of acquiring new knowledge.

"Good," Sheridan answered. "As soon as the doctors say it's all right, I'll assign a pilot to take you down there."

--

Author's Note: Well, this one is almost done, with really just two chapters of explanations to go. That is forcefully reminding me that I still have to get back to work on the sequel, but I also have a lot of Avatar stories in progress. Ah, so many ideas, so little time!

Review responses:

Samael3: Well, sort of, in an oblique, roundabout kind of way. You'll see.

Lordheaven: We never see a Shadow engaged in melee combat with anyone, so I had to make it all up. They tend to prefer attacks from more of a distance, either with their ships, through psychological warfare, or by working through others.

Ranger Aurora: Well, that's good. This chapter and the next are also a little more B-5-ish, and then the last chapter (yeah, it's kind of short) goes back to Harry Potter.

SnakeEyes16: Yes, Shadows are quite powerful. It's good to know that the action was all right. I didn't realize the comment about Ginny's freckles was that effective, but two of you commented on it.

Sonicdale: I'm not much of a detail person, and I tend to hate it when authors get bogged down in that. I spend most of my time on the emotions and relationship development, and when I do include a detail, it's usually important to the story. This is basically a direct future story, but I haven't really decided how the wizarding world has evolved over 300 years.


	10. Chapter 10: The Planet Below

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: This chapter requires a little bit of B-5 canon bending. My husband suggested the stuff about the Shadow and Kosh. Some of my readers when I originally posted the story thought it ended a little abruptly, but at the time, I was really trying to limit it to approximately the amount of information you'd receive in a single story. That is, I wasn't necessarily trying to tell the entire story in one shot but lay some groundwork. I also confess to shamelessly using the trip to Babylon 5 to get Ron and Hermione together, as well as incorporating Ginny more fully into their circle.

Chapter 10 – The Planet Below

As it happened, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were cleared for travel the following day. A small security team guided them to a docking bay, where their pilot was to meet them. Ron and Hermione appeared perfectly content to wait. They nearly always had one point of contact between them now, and Ginny wondered exactly what had happened while they had been in Medlab together. Ginny tried to be disgusted, but it was impossible when she saw Ron so happy. She was very relieved to not be caught in the middle anymore. Harry, meanwhile, seemed restless, so he wandered while they waited. Peering into a docking bay nearby, he called to the others.

"What do you suppose those are?" he asked in an awestruck voice when Ginny, Ron, and Hermione joined him. Ginny saw a mind-bogglingly long row of large, x-shaped metal objects, hanging from above. She thought they must be ships of some kind.

"They must be fighter ships," said Hermione. "See, they're mostly wing with just a small cockpit for the pilot. You couldn't really carry passengers on them."

"Would they really use all of these?" Ron wondered aloud.

"Yes," replied an unfamiliar voice behind them. "You wouldn't want to be here if all of them were out at once, though. In such a situation, even this many fighters probably wouldn't be enough. Anyway, I am Marcus Cole. I'll be your pilot on this little expedition."

As soon as the stranger had begun speaking, the kids had all turned around quickly. Although the voice was unfamiliar, the accent wasn't. The man who'd spoken had a distinctly English manner of speaking, and Ginny felt strangely comforted by hearing it.

Marcus was quite a striking figure. He wore a brown cloak over a fitted costume of dark material, possibly leather. He had thick, dark hair down to his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He seemed to Ginny the very image of a medieval nobleman. His smile was friendly, but his hazel eyes were intense and seemed to possess a deep sadness, or perhaps emptiness. Ginny found herself staring and blushed as she looked away. She caught Hermione's gaze in the process, and noted that she also seemed to be affected.

"Are you from England, too?" Ron asked curiously.

"Not directly, no. I was raised on a planet colonized by the English. We've stayed close to our roots."

"Then you might be a descendant of one of us," said Harry thoughtfully, after a brief pause.

"I doubt it," said Marcus. "But after 250 years or so, I suppose anything is possible." This idea had the effect of cold water on Ginny. Once she realized that, in this time period, she could be old enough to be his grandmother several generations removed, any attraction she might have felt for him evaporated.

"You don't work on the station, do you?" said Hermione, eyeing his clothing.

"Yes, and no," replied Marcus cryptically. "I am a Ranger."

"What's a Ranger?" Ginny inquired.

"That's a rather long story, if you want all the details. I can tell you on the way. Shall we?" With this, Marcus led them to the shuttlecraft they would take to the planet below. In contrast to the fighters, the shuttle was a blocky vehicle with wings on either side. There were two columns of seats running through the middle of it. Once they were all seated and strapped in, Marcus maneuvered the shuttle out of the docking bay and began their flight. Ginny found herself seated beside Marcus at the front of the shuttle. Ron and Hermione sat behind them, with Harry in the back.

"The Rangers are a group of specially trained individuals started by the Minbari prophet Valen nearly one thousand years ago," Marcus said when they were underway. "They were supposed to be outriders after a fashion, tasked with watching for signs that the Shadows were coming again and preparing to push them back once more. In recent years, humans such as myself have joined their ranks. We are trained either on Minbar or on remote colony worlds. Then, we're sent to serve wherever we're needed. So you see, I don't actually work on the station, although I spend a great deal of time here. You might say I'm attached to it."

"To whom do you report?" Hermione asked.

"Traditionally, we have a leader known as Ranger One. However, the post is currently vacant. On the station, we recognize the authority of both Delenn and Captain Sheridan."

"So, if you don't report directly to the captain, why are you the one taking us to the planet?" Harry asked.

"Actually, I volunteered. I've never been to Epsilon III, and it's supposed to be really something. Besides, I get restless when I haven't anything specific to do, and I usually end up annoying Susan."

"Susan?" asked Ron.

"Ivanova," came the short reply.

"You're on a first-name basis with the commander?" Ginny inquired curiously. Marcus shot her a sharp look before he answered.

"It doesn't mean what it used to," he said vaguely. "Say, do you like Gilbert & Sullivan? '_I am the very model of a modern Major-General--_'"

"No, please; not that one!" exclaimed Hermione.

"You don't like the Major-General's song?" Marcus asked her, seeming almost hurt.

"Oh, it's fine. I've just heard it too much, that's all." Hermione paused. "Do you know any other songs from that operetta?"

"The Pirate King's, naturally, but it's not really in my range."

"Why don't you have a Ranger One?" Harry asked, breaking into the musical discussion.

"Has anyone mentioned Ambassador Sinclair to you?" Marcus responded, answering a question with a question.

"Yes," Ginny said. "He was the first commander of the station, right?"

"And the one who didn't come back from Babylon 4!" Ron exclaimed, understanding. "You were there, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was," replied Marcus. "He was Ranger One, so now you know why we have no leader. I suspect that Delenn will be the next one, but it hasn't been decided yet."

Not long after this, the shuttle lowered into what looked like a trench in the surface of the orange and white planet and entered an opening in the rock wall. After Marcus landed the shuttle, they all got out. Ginny and the others gaped in astonishment. It looked as though they were in some kind of subterranean city. Twinkling lights stretched up and down as far as the eye could see.

"What is all this?" asked Hermione.

"It's the machine," Marcus said, seeming hardly less awestruck than the teens. "I don't even know exactly what its original function was. I imagine that it would take days for Draal to explain everything it can do, and I'm not sure even he knows everything yet."

"Ah," said a new voice. "Draal told Zathras you would be here. Draal sent Zathras to take you to the Heart."

They all turned to see a very strange-looking personage. The creature had hair that looked almost like dull, yellowish-brown fur. Most of it was brushed back, but he had long sideburns partly masking his large ears. He had a large, bumpy nose and weathered face. He walked rather hunched over and was covered with a wide variety of furs and skins. When he spoke, he revealed large, crooked teeth.

"Hello, Zathras," Marcus said, seeming a little confused. "I'm sorry, but didn't we leave you in the past?"

"We have never met," Zathras replied in his gravelly voice.

"But that's impossible!" Marcus exclaimed. "You came to Babylon 4 with us and helped us to move it through time."

"Oh, yes," Zathras said. "Zathras understand now. That was not Zathras; that was Zathras. There are ten of us, all named Zathras."

"Ten?" Marcus asked incredulously. "Well, I suppose that explains it, then."

"You are not the One, but Zathras greet. Zathras do what Zathras told. Draal say, 'Bring five to the Heart.' So, you are five, and Zathras bring. Come."

"What was all this about going into the past?" asked Harry to Marcus in a quiet voice. "We were just told that Babylon 4 disappeared."

"It's a very long story," Marcus answered evasively.

"Why is everything around here a long story?" Ginny said a bit grumpily, mostly to herself. Marcus just grinned at her.

Ron and Hermione stayed close to one another, holding hands, and Ginny also moved closer to Harry, taking comfort in the familiar. She had tried long ago to put her crush on him behind her, but the enforced closeness of the past few days had made the old feelings resurface. She had managed to keep her composure, however, and maintain a friendly atmosphere. Strangely, though, Ginny had caught Harry looking at her several times. Surely it didn't mean anything. Did it? She shook her head slightly to clear such thoughts from her mind and tried to focus on the present.

"This Zathras reminds me of Dobby," Harry whispered to Ginny. Ginny smiled at him and nodded but couldn't think of anything to say.

After following their unusual guide through many winding corridors, they arrived at last at what everyone seemed to call "the heart" of the machine. In the center was a large structure containing a sort of cutout of a humanoid. It had apparently been designed for a variety of humanoids because there was room for six arms. The current occupant was a middle-aged Minbari who appeared to be asleep. Almost as soon as their group approached, however, a transparent version of him appeared in front of his body.

"Welcome, welcome, my young friends," he said. "So glad you could come. You too, Marcus. I am Draal." Draal was a little on the heavy side and had a booming, jocular voice.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between the body of Draal and his projection.

"What?" asked Draal, seeming confused. Then he appeared to understand. "Oh, yes. The Machine requires the presence of my body to run properly; I can only leave for short periods. However, I am able to produce an avatar, such as this, so that I can speak to you and continue to control the Machine.

"Zathras, the devices," Draal said then, turning to the hunched creature. Zathras handed each of them, except for Marcus, a dome-shaped object made out of metal. "You are doubtless wondering what these are, but all will be explained in due course. Well, let me look at you! I feel as though I know you already. The Weasleys, of course, Ron and Ginny. And Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Albus has told me so much about you!"

The four wizards stared at him in shock.

"You know Professor Dumbledore?" Harry was the first to find his voice and ask the question.

"Indeed, I do. You will, naturally, have many questions for me. Allow me to explain in my own manner. After that, if you still have questions, you may ask them. However, this could take some time. Please, have a seat."

Ginny looked around to see stone seats against the wall of the chamber. Obediently, the five of them sat down. Zathras, however, left to pursue errands of his own.

"Let me begin by explaining a little about this machine," Draal said, his avatar pacing about in front of them. "It has been here for about 500 years. With the direction of the brain of a sentient creature, it can see through space at the speed of thought. Now, there are places in space where the fabric of time has been ruptured. Through these rifts, I am able to use the machine to see into the past or into the future. It was through one of these time fields that I first saw you four. Based on the things I saw, it seemed to me that you were necessary elements if the future were to unfold as it should. However, I did not know where – or when – to find you. This changed one day when I happened to reach into the past and contact one wizard named Albus Dumbledore. He was using one of his magical devices while I was using the machine to view the past, and we discovered that we could communicate that way.

"Through our conversations, I found that the four young people I needed were in his time and place. We still had several problems to work out, the most difficult of which was how to get you here. The machine and some of its devices can move objects and living things through time and space, but not without prior contact. Albus was able to help me by casting powerful spells on some objects he believed you would use. They would only be activated, however, if two of you touched an object simultaneously. We did not want any of you to be alone here.

"I am sorry that I could not tell you about this sooner, but I believed – and Albus agreed – that you would not be able to do what was necessary if you or others were aware of what was happening. We thought it best not to interfere in events this first time. I know what you are thinking, and the answer is yes. I have seen you at other times in the future of Babylon 5. I will get to that later.

"In any case, you have completed the task for which you were brought here, so I will soon be sending you home. I am sure you are wondering exactly what you did, so I will explain. Please be patient, however, for it is a long story." Ginny exchanged an amused glance with Harry at hearing this phrase yet again but did not interrupt.

"You probably don't know that Kosh, the Vorlon ambassador to Babylon 5, was murdered a few months ago by the Shadows," Draal continued, resuming his narrative. "It is a secret that has been well kept by the command staff. What is also not widely known is that Vorlons are able to transfer pieces of themselves into other beings and travel the universe in secret. They do not have a corporeal body as you and I do. Now, Kosh knew that his end was coming, and he intended to transfer a part of himself into Captain Sheridan. However, it turned out that he did not have time to do this, so he had to transfer into one of the Shadows attacking him. This caused that Shadow to be very confused and at war with itself, so it wandered off and hid in a vacant set of rooms in the alien sector of the station.

"This is where you come in. As you have probably guessed, the quarters occupied by this confused Shadow were the very ones to which you four were assigned. As soon as you entered, Kosh took the opportunity to transfer himself into you, Ron."

There was a long pause as everyone took in the information.

"Is that what that flash of light was?" asked Hermione, looking a bit abashed. "I thought he was being attacked."

"Yes, I can see how you might think that," Draal answered. "Well, once Kosh had left the Shadow, it was no longer confused. Therefore, it immediately saw you as a threat and began fighting. Shadows are not accustomed to fighting on their own; they usually act through intermediaries. However, they can be formidable opponents when they choose."

"No kidding," muttered Ron.

"So what was that shock that passed between Ron and the captain a little later?" Ginny asked, after a pause while they all digested what they had just been told.

"That was Kosh transferring himself into Sheridan, where he was supposed to be. He had to do it very quickly, at the moment of contact, so that none of the onlookers would guess what had happened." Draal then turned to address Ron directly. "Kosh had been keeping you alive during your battle with the Shadow. It is unlikely you would have survived without him. On his way out, he was also able to cauterize your internal wounds. I suppose it was his way of thanking you. Unfortunately, the force of all that energy leaving your body knocked you unconscious.

"So you see, someone needed to have a reason to go into those quarters and provide a temporary home for Kosh. That same someone needed to later be touched by Sheridan to complete the transfer. It was not yet time for Sheridan to come face to face with a Shadow. That will happen soon enough…" Draal trailed off at this point, his gaze far away. Ginny felt a strange chill and a sense of foreboding.

"So, now we come to those devices," Draal resumed. "These will enable me to send you to your own time and place. They also provide a point of contact so that I can bring you here again when the need arises because, as I mentioned before, I have seen you here at other times than this. There is an indicator on each one that will light up when the time is right, but they will only activate to bring you back here when all four of you are touching your devices at the same time."

"Why do you need all four of us?" Hermione asked, looking up from her scrutiny of the object in her hand. "Come to think of it, why did you need us all this time, if Ron was the one who was supposed to be an intermediary vessel?"

"For this particular venture, I think that you will realize, if you consider it carefully, that all of you had a part to play in what happened here," replied Draal. "For one thing, Ron alone would not likely have been assigned to his own quarters and so would not have met the Shadow. As for the rest, I can only tell you that your lives all seem to be intertwined. In all of the places and times I have seen you, you have never been far apart. Although you are each powerful individually, you seem to create an even greater entity when you are together. I understand that there is an ancient tradition from Earth in which the number four represents Earth, and three represents heaven. Therefore, seven is the number of perfection, when heaven and Earth are unified."

"That's true!" exclaimed Hermione. "That was a belief of the Hebrews."

"Well, here in this time, we have our Three, who are also known collectively as The One," Draal continued. "Commander, or Ambassador, Sinclair is the One who was. He has gone back one thousand years to become the Minbari prophet, Valen. Delenn is the One who is. She has formed a bridge between humans and Minbari, restoring the balance that was shifted when Sinclair became Minbari so long ago. John Sheridan is the One who will be, the man whose potential has not yet been realized. From your perspective, distant space might be considered heaven. Therefore, you might be the Four representing Earth, who must work together with the Three from heaven to bring about perfection."

They all (except Marcus, who did not seem surprised) gaped a little at the revelation that Sinclair, when he had disappeared on Babylon 4, had actually gone into the past and become Minbari. However, they had recovered by the time Draal finished his speech.

"It sounds awfully far-fetched," said Ron doubtfully.

"Yes, well, so does waking up on your 11th birthday to find a half-giant telling you that you're a wizard," quipped Harry. He had a point.

"Well then," Draal said. "Are you ready to return to your own time?"

"Wait," said Hermione. "When are we getting back? I mean, have we missed classes or anything?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and caught Ron and Harry exchanging exasperated glances. Leave it to Hermione to worry about schoolwork when the future of the universe was at stake.

"Theoretically, I could return you all to the exact moment you departed," Draal replied. "However, getting it exactly right is a tricky business and you'd be very disoriented. Besides, I need time to talk to Albus and explain everything that has happened, as well as set up a time for your return. I have already done this, of course, but it happened about an hour after you left, in relative time. You will be returning to his office, and you will find that only a few hours have passed. Are there any further questions?"

Hermione looked as though she had a thousand, but she seemed to decide against voicing them when she saw everyone else shaking their heads. Draal had them all hold their metal devices, and the chamber faded.

After the four young humans had disappeared, Draal turned to Marcus and spoke to him in Minbari.

"I trust you will be discreet about the things you have learned here?" he asked.

"Why, Draal," Marcus replied, also in Minbari. "You should know that one of the things a Ranger does best is keep secrets. I will reveal only enough to explain why the children are no longer here. Will that do?"

"Admirably."

--

Author's Note: Well, I hope that answers some of the questions people may have had about Ron's battle with the Shadow. The part about three, four, and seven was something I actually learned in a Bible study class. And the part about Ginny and Hermione being attracted to Marcus came from the fact that women who watched the show almost universally seemed to be hot for him, and I never really got that.

Review responses:

Samael3: Intrigue? Well, this answered a lot of it, but there's still some mystery.

DragonMage101: You know, it actually could make some sense for Squibs to get that started. You've definitely given me some food for thought.

Lordheaven: I do have a scene planned for them meeting Kosh 2, but not until some distance into the sequel.

Ranger Aurora: I think your questions pretty much already were answered in this chapter.

Sonicdale: Sorry, no H/G snogging in this story. I had to save something for the sequel!:)


	11. Chapter 11: Home Again

Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter books or movies or the Babylon 5 television series. All rights belong to their respective parties, and I am making no money from using these characters or other aspects of the fictional universes.

Author's Note: Sorry this has taken me a little while to post. I've had some distractions going on. Anyway, I'm particularly proud of this chapter, not the least because I accurately predicted some of the things that would happen in Book 6. I go a little deeper into philosophy than Rowling ever did, but I think that's a good thing. My husband thinks this chapter is some of my best writing ever.

Chapter 11 – Home Again

Harry watched as the subterranean cavern of Epsilon III was replaced by the familiar portraits and whirring devices of Professor Dumbledore's office. And there was the old wizard himself, seated at his desk and peering at them over his half-moon spectacles.

"Right on time," Dumbledore commented, smiling. "How was your trip?"

He said this for all the world as though they'd simply been on holiday. Not that Harry would really know that, as he had never been on a simple holiday in his life. Still, as happy as Harry was to be back at Hogwarts, he was surprised to discover that he was also a little disappointed. The other world they had visited had been strange and dangerous, but being there had somehow allowed Harry to forget the obligations and burdens of this world. Now, they came crashing back down upon him.

"It was…interesting," was all Harry could think of to say as he and the others put away their time devices.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said, looking to Ron and Ginny. "Your mother tried to send you a letter while you were away. Quite unfortunate that the timing of the post had to coincide with the few hours you were gone. Errol attempted to find you, but I gather he caused some disturbance on Babylon 5. Frightened, he returned here and delivered the letter to me."

Harry was stunned. He looked at his friends to see similar expressions of astonishment.

"You mean…that owl in the Zocalo…that was…Errol?" asked Ron incredulously.

"I didn't know that owls could travel through time and space like that!" added Hermione.

"They can't," Dumbledore answered calmly. "Only Errol. Didn't you ever wonder how he traveled such long distances, as old and tired as he is? So as to not kill himself with every delivery, he has developed a way of slipping through time and space, although it is somewhat imperfect. He always has to fly some distance to reach the designated person, and it makes him rather disoriented for a moment. It also tires him considerably, though not as much as if he had flown the distance in a straight line. Professor Flitwick has been working on determining how he does it. It might be very useful if witches and wizards could duplicate the effect."

When no one seemed inclined to respond to this fantastic revelation, Dumbledore continued, "In any case, I think you two ought to write her quickly, so she does not worry."

Ginny took the cue and began to leave the office. Ron followed her, and since he showed no sign of letting go of Hermione's hand, it seemed that she was going to the Owlery as well. Harry started to exit behind them, but Dumbledore's voice stopped him.

"Harry, please stay a moment. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

Reluctantly, Harry turned around and took a step or two back towards the Headmaster's desk. This was the first time he had been in Dumbledore's office since his outburst last year, and he didn't know quite what to expect. Dumbledore did not immediately enlighten him.

"Sit down, Harry," he said instead. Harry complied, and Dumbledore spoke again. "Have you told them about the Prophecy yet?"

This was not what Harry expected. He simply shook his head. Dumbledore sighed.

"It is your burden, of course, but I would advise you to share it," he said. "I believe they would want you to."

When Harry still didn't answer, Dumbledore changed the subject.

"I wanted to let you know that I had my own reasons for going along with Draal's proposition. I knew it would be dangerous to send you there, and I hesitated. Do you know why I agreed?"

"You mean, besides not wanting to disrupt the space-time continuum?" Harry asked, a little bitterly. It was something he had heard in a science fiction film, or maybe a television show. To his surprise, Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly.

"That was a consideration, yes," he replied calmly. "But I also hoped that it might help you. I thought it possible that being in such unfamiliar surroundings would bring the four of you closer."

"It has," said Harry, thinking mainly of Ron and Hermione. When he reflected on it, he realized that he and Ginny had become closer, too.

"Good," Dumbledore replied, steepling his fingers together in front of him. "You have met the captain, and Delenn, and some others. You have seen what they are up against?"

"A little too closely, if you ask me!" snorted Harry. Dumbledore ignored Harry's tone.

"From what Draal has told me, this Captain Sheridan is much like you, willing to throw himself into danger for the sake of others. But there seems to be one key difference between you. Do you know what that is?"

Harry thought briefly about the obvious differences between them, but he had the feeling this was not what Dumbledore was looking for.

"No, sir," he said at last. Dumbledore regarded him for a long moment.

"Harry, it is relatively easy to find things to die for. Men die for their chosen cause every day. It is much more challenging to find something to live for. John Sheridan has found that. Do you know what it is?"

Harry thought hard, remembering all of the things he had observed while on Babylon 5. Suddenly, it came to him.

"Delenn," he answered, certain he was right.

"Exactly. Do you remember what I told you about Voldemort? What is the one thing that he does not understand and cannot abide?"

"Love," Harry said promptly. He didn't know why, as he said the word, he saw a flash of long, red hair in his mind's eye. On the heels of that vision came another thought: "Ron and Hermione?"

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore sighed, his eyes seeming to focus on a point far over Harry's head. "Passion and reason; ever opposed to one another, but always one dependent upon the other."

"Um, sir? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hm? Oh, yes. It doesn't matter," Dumbledore said, recollecting himself. "Their love will help to protect and strengthen them, yes, but it will do little for you. What are _you_ living for, Harry?"

Harry just stared at him, having no answer.

"That's what I was afraid of," said Dumbledore quietly. "Some time ago, you asked me to teach you how to defeat Voldemort. This is your first task: find something worth living for. You know what you are fighting against, but what are you fighting _for_? Revenge is not enough. Hate is not enough. These are Voldemort's weapons, and he can wield them far better than you can. Love is the only thing he cannot counter."

"I have to love someone?"

"Someone or something. Discover what it is that makes you get up every morning to face another day. Harry, if you have nothing to look forward to, then what's the point? What are we all fighting for if not for a better reality than the one we see? If you go into battle without a clear idea of what you want to see happening after it, no vision of a life beyond the war, then there is no hope. Not for you, not for any of us. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded slowly. He had only been focusing on his hatred for the wizard who had robbed him of his parents and his godfather. He realized now that Dumbledore was right. If Harry saw his life ending with the meeting foretold in the Prophecy, it most likely would. Even if he did survive under such circumstances, Voldemort would still win. Having already lost much of his past, he couldn't let the Dark Lord steal his future, physically _or _spiritually. The Headmaster seemed to be satisfied, for he smiled slightly and stood up.

"Shall we go down to dinner, then?" he said, changing the mood abruptly. "It should be served very soon, and it will look odd if I am not there."

Harry was only half-aware as he followed Dumbledore out of the office. He had a great deal to think about. Before they reached the Great Hall, he had managed to make one decision: after dinner, he was going to tell his friends about the Prophecy.

--

Author's Note: So, there you have it. And I did not substantively change any of this for the current publication, in case you were wondering. I just added a few words. From the perspective of having read the remaining books, though, I found it very strange that Ginny wasn't more incorporated into the Trio through the sixth and seventh books. One of the reasons I wrote this was because I thought that would make sense. It was very disappointing to me that Harry did not let Ginny in on what they were doing and that he didn't choose to reunite with her at the end of the book. It seemed unrealistic and extremely unsatisfying to me, but maybe that's just my romantic Americanism talking. Basically, there was little evidence that Harry and Ginny had developed a bond that would see them through a lifetime, and the Epilogue didn't help much with that.

Review responses:

selenepotter: Sorry, but if you'll read my profile, you'll find that I am predominantly a canon shipper. Anyway, the point of this was not to completely integrate the two worlds but to show small areas of overlap.

Lordheaven: Convenience is the foundation on which fiction is built! I think I showed here that Dumbledore had his misgivings and his reasons for going along with the whole thing.

Hilary Weston: I'm not yet sure how much Marcus will figure into the sequel, but I'll probably work him in somewhere.

Fondued Jicama: I know, a lot of people come into this story thinking it sounds really weird and end up being pleasantly surprised. I worked very hard to show both universes respect. As for Marcus, I'll agree he had charisma, but I think it's just the fact that facial hair never did much for me that I didn't find him exactly attractive. 2nd Season Bruce Boxleitner is much more my type.:)


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